Want a regular supply of local, organic produce?


Join our CSA!

It's easy! Pay for a regular subscription - monthly, bi-weekly or weekly. In return the garden delivers a box of fresh, organic produce every week at an established neighborhood delivery site. The cost is $20 per box, which provides a week's worth of produce for 2 - 4 people.

Our garden will deliver boxes of fresh, organic produce each Monday between 6 and 7 pm beginning June 4, 2012 at delivery sites in Walnut Creek and Clayton. (The ...

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Offline and Back in Touch


There are many e-ways of staying in touch these days, but I feel that social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, seem to do a better job of connecting acquaintances than friends. In fact, Facebook seems to have more to do with projecting oneself to an adoring audience than maintaining any kind of real connection. (At least, we assume the audience adores.)

In actuality, I'm not at all sure that the social media are helping me to keep in touch. In fact, I sometimes...

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Diversity in Our Garden, Lives


On his flight back from a meeting in New York, John met a new friend, as he often does whenever he travels. Mollishmael Kwame Gabah, who at first looked like a 60s rock star in his crisp white suit, occupied the seat next to John. Mr. Kwame Gabah turned out to be the founder and director of the Global-Ghana Youth Network. This is an organization that supports and educates impoverished children in the Kissehman region of Ghana.

In this country to raise awareness of the culture and...

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Coming Together


Over many centuries and in every culture, people have come together over food. From holiday feasts to summertime picnics, eating forms the centerpiece of many social gatherings. Some of our folks here participated in an authentic Tongan pig roast in Pleasanton this Saturday. It was an exciting opportunity to experience the cuisine, dancing and music of these Pacific Islanders. They reported on such unusual delicacies as octopus (looked like blueberry yogurt, but certainly tasted different) and b...

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Renewal


In the garden, the fulness of the old yields to the freshness of the new.

Chuck is clearing our garden's raised beds of the last winter crops and cover plantings. And Gary is setting out the summer "starts" in the newly cleared and freshly tilled beds. Even as we enjoy the last of the cauliflower and lettuce, we think of the crisp lusciousness of the spring lettuce and the summer tomatoes that are in our future.

We find the clearing of the old as satisfying as the ...

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Growing and Changing


Watch video on the Concord Patch

People can change. In an article in last Sunday's New York Times, Diane Ackerman discussed recent research demonstrating the impact of love on brain patterns - not just during the early stages of infancy when a mother's love imprints patterns that reflect her loving care or lack thereof. What each of us experience day-by-day cont...

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Buttercup Farms Garden Fundraising Project a Success!


We did it! Thanks to the benevolence of so many people Buttercup Farms Garden met its goal for the Kickstarter fundraising project to expand our garden with new raised beds. For anyone who is unfamiliar with Kickstarter, it is a "crowd funding" website for creative projects that range from music to food and just about everything in between.

We would like to extend our deep and heartfelt gratitude to everyone who supported our efforts. Because of your generosity we will be able to ...

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Tomato Season Approaches


This week, we enjoyed a visit from the Concord Patch editor, Adalto Nascimento, who, we learned hails from Brazil by way of Walnut Creek. As he toured the farm and met everyone who has showed up in this column, we experienced first-hand the enthusiasm and zest that he brings to his job. Did you notice the cool photos he took in his article about us?

Are all of you tomato aficionados rubbing your hands together with eagerness for the new season? At Buttercup Farms, we particularly ...

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Our Farm's Long Reach


This weekend, we caught our breath after the rain. After surveying its impact, Chuck and Jeff got to work freeing up the water in the little watercourse that takes the overflow from the pond and empties it into the creek. This work is both bracing and satisfying.

Beginning downstream, they worked their way about 30 yards, freeing up the water from the mud and grasses that have collected all winter. Once again, the water is flowing.

As I admired the free-flowing resu...

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A Life Full of Variety


I found myself bouncing along the fire road the other day in the front seat of Faith's van. In the open space behind us, there were three restless mini horses snatching away at the hay we had thrown in order to induce them to jump into the side door. Far down the road in front of us, Faith's pony R2D2 was raising a puff of dust as he galloped along with Manuel in the saddle.

We were transferring this little herd from the large hillside pasture to a little paddock down below in ord...

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Elder Years


How many of us plan for our later years? I don't mean to sound like an insurance ad, like we see on TV and the internet - all those investment gurus who try to tell us they know what to do with our money so that we can pay for an entertaining retirement or the nursing care that we may some day need.

These days, I am witnessing elder years as they should be and seldom are. I've spent a lot of time recently visiting rehab centers and seeing the elderly patients, most of whom are vis...

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It Takes Teamwork


The Oscars ceremony on Sunday night reminded us all that it takes teamwork to create a masterpiece. It seldom happens alone. It is also true on the farm that every major accomplishment is a result of a team effort.

Jakie visited us again this week from New Orleans, bringing her expertise with the Tellington T-touch team approach to training horses. Gogol, our yearling colt, who has responded so well to Manuel's training, received a large dose of team effort this week. As a result,...

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Farm Life Therapy


Our friend arrived this weekend from New Orleans, where she lives with her maritime attorney husband. She drove out with her son, who will be volunteering at the Angels Camp Mercantile Cafe. Talking with our friend reminded me of what our farm is about: helping people get in touch with themselves.

Her experience is typical of the over 800 people whose lives have been affected by their experience here.

For many years we ran a large scale horse racing program. At one ...

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The Farm Community and the World Community


Buttercup Farms staff were included in an Ashoka event at the Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville. They, of course, looked forward to meeting Buzz Lightyear and Woody, and were excited when they saw that Susan Sarandon would also be there, but they found more to spur their enthusiasm when they arrived at the event...

Read the whole article on the Concord Patch...

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The Mercantile Bakery
Angels Camp Mercantile: Our terrific baker from Senegal, Dah Sira Samba Ka, and her team offer a variety of wonderful fresh breads, tasty cookies, pastries, desserts, and scrumptious biscotti. C...

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Meaningful Giving
We like the article on "Meaningful Giving" by Beth Davis that we found in the free publication we picked up at Whole Foods in Walnut Creek the other day (Natural Awakenings, East Bay Area Edition, December 2011, NAEastBay.com). While we understand the meaningfulness of a full stocking as abundant evidence of love, we especially appreciate the gifts of quality time spent together. Some of the best gifts received by farm folks this past year included a precious rescued kitten, who gives back to he...

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Chuck about his work at the Buttercup Garden




Follow us on Youtube...

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Our Buttercup Garden


Buttercup Farms' organic garden in Clayton, CA. Heirloom tomatoes, eggplant, green and wax beans, basil, zucchini and peppers abound, not to mention winter squash and pumpkins. Fall crops included lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and pakchoi. A lot of the produce is served at nearby rest...

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View from the farm


   clayton.patch.com/columns/view-from-the-farm


La Veranda and the Farm Join Forces
   http://clayton.patch.com/articles/la-veranda-and-the-farm-join-forces


10,000 GIRLS - Senegal's CNN Award Honoree!!
   www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2008/cnn.heroes/

   www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/04/10/heroes.vaughn/index.html    www.10000girls.org


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