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 feel that not only am I losing touch with my friends, I am also losing touch with myself. I am lost in the …

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 needs of this impoverished region of Africa, Mr. Kwame Gabah is visiting churches and community groups, sharing …

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 banana cream (not what one would expect from the description), as well as more familiar pork and …

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 planting of the new. The winter's green plants are turned with manure in a new compost pile. And Chuck works compost from the matured compost into the cleared bed. The freshly tilled soil gives off a …

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 continues to influence who we are. Scientific findings conclude that intimate, caring relationships throughout our lives can have a transforming effect on the brain that affects health and happiness. The transformative effect of the farm experience has demonstrated this …

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 look forward to the tomato crop. Homegrown heirloom tomatoes so represent two qualities that we cherish – …

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 results of their work late in the afternoon, I was mindful of the far-reaching impact of our stream and of our farm. As the water …

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 order to give the pasture a “rest” and let the grass grow. All four of the little horses went hesitantly into their …

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 visited by a few longsuffering and overworked relatives. In contrast, our dear Angie, while she is tended to lovingly…

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, we have all become more comfortable with the colt and he more comfortable with us. On Sunday, I drove Gogol from …

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 Café. 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 point we had over 135 horses, including brood mares, racing stock, horses in training, and five senior stallions that had been …

This week John was flying back to the Bay area after a business trip. He happened to be seated next to a young mother with a 9-month-old daughter. The baby was so peaceful resting on her mother's chest that she slept most of the flight. The mother said that she has been urged to have her own much-needed sleep when her baby is at rest. “But,” she said, “I just love watching her sleep.” Truly, this baby is cherished. In many ways, the farm brings out the cherishing quality in people. Even the dour old dads in the musical The Fantastiks, found that they could cherish the vegetables that they …

You might not notice his patience when you run into him in downtown Clayton. You recognize that he is a cowboy: the hat, boots, and pickup give him away. Because Manuel doesn’t wear his patience on his sleeve, you have to discover it by watching him work with our nine-month-old colt. The other morning I saw him introduce Gogol to a horse blanket. Terrified by anything he hasn’t seen before, the colt shied away from its presence in the paddock. Manuel had to patiently coax him to first stand still and look at it, then approach it, then cautiously sniff it. It was a slow process, carried out in…

Has anyone kept a count of the sunny days this winter? It seems like it must be a meteorological record. All I know is that here on the farm we keep waiting for the other shoe to drop.We love rainy weather, but our lives are less complicated when the sun shines. When the rain finally came a week ago, we had gotten so used to the sunshine that we forgot to cover the hay. Fortunately, most of it was under a shelter, and the ensuing sunny days gave us time to dry it out. It is an odd state of mind: while I must acknowledge that the ground is desperate for rain, I can't bring myself to regret …

[Martin Luther King, Jr.’s] vision was for change that was more revolutionary than mere reform: he cited systematic flaws of "racism, poverty, militarism and materialism", and according to an article about his 1968 Poor People's Campaign, argued that "... reconstruction of society itself is the real issue to be faced". On Saturday, some 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 …

I have been realizing lately that while I lead an amazingly interesting and varied life, no one would ever guess that from my presence on social media. My Facebook page is as boring as milk toast. In general, it serves as a passive slate on which others write their news. So what is important in my friends’ lives shows up there. I am used to an old fashioned definition of image – one that requires my physical presence. In it, I am characterized by my appearance and my speech – how I dress, how I use words, what kind of energy I express. If I want to make a good impression, if I want to express…

To me, the mission of Buttercup Farms, “to help others help themselves,” means creating the opportunity for people to participate in life. In his new book, Thinking, Fast and Slow, Nobel Laureate in economics Daniel Kahneman suggests that one means for increasing the experience of well-being in society is to provide “improved social opportunities for the elderly.”   The farm has always served as a vehicle for cross-generational connections. Ninety-six-year-old Angie, who has lived here for 25 years, has as many friends in the under-40 category as she has in the over-60 age group. People of …

During the holiday season, we are constantly reminded of traditions. “I’ll be home for Christmas,” is crooned over the speakers when we shop, and one tradition certainly holds that families will gather together, even if it is the only day of the year on which they do. Every cultural and religious pathway has its traditional practices. Gathering for Christmas, Hanukah, or the feast that signals the close of Ramadan is just one of them. Our Mongolian and Chinese friends come together for their respective new years and celebrate in unique ways. While these traditions serve to evoke a common …

We are experimenting this winter. We are planting lettuce, cole crops (broccoli and cauliflower), and tomatoes in our greenhouses over the winter! Does anyone else out there do that? If so, it would be nice to hear about your experiences. Gary started looking anew at our old geodesic dome greenhouse this fall. With a little clean-up and repair, it looked like it might serve as more than a winter storage for our potted citrus trees and bougainvillea. The biggest challenge turned out to be the panels in the roof that should open or shut, depending on the inside temperature. The levers for …

People often relate to the holidays as if they were just another family tradition to be experienced. On our farm, the opposite is true. We never know exactly what is going to happen, but we know it is not going to be simply “business as usual.” Just look what happened this year. Did you every feel awkward about how your in-laws fit in? There is a precious young couple in South San Francisco who were concerned about just that issue as the wife was expecting a baby. She so wanted to include her mother, but she wanted this to happen after the baby was born. So the expectant Grandmother, who …