Al Poncia, a free spirit who fought to preserve family farms and promote sustainable agriculture, died on Aug. 28 at his ranch in Tomales, surrounded by the family he loved and the land he cherished. He was 83.
A third-generation farmer, Mr. Poncia was one of the first to join the Marin Agricultural Land Trust, whose pioneering use of property easements helped preserve open space at a time when West Marin faced the prospect of…