Starting Tuesday we will be exclusively serving local brown rice for our I am Grateful Bowl.  This might not feel like a very large declaration, but in our world and with our impact, we see it being large.  We've told you about the wonders of quinoa, the magic of this incredible little plant that produces something so perfectly balanced for our consumption needs as humans.  We stand behind the power of this grain, AND we've also been following the news of the decline of Bolivian nutrition as Bolivian quinoa has gained popularity in the Western world.  As the price of quinoa goes up to meet the demand of rich international buyers, quinoa can no longer be afforded in the Bolivian homes it comes from.  By means of our buying power, United States purchasing trends are disrupting the political and health sustainability of Bolivian citizens.  See more on this subject here.

We are choosing to shift our focus from quinoa to the awesome local and sustainable crop of brown rice.  We have an excellent connection with an amazing family that's been growing rice through four generations. Massa Organics is a local family owned rice farm that respects the soil and ensures the highest quality of grain.  Because we are shifting to using brown rice, we are cutting our footprint in the costs of shipping from Bolivia and we are supporting local farms for a fresh alternative.  We sold over 65,000 bowls of quinoa through the "I am Grateful" program last year.  We are owning up to our impact on Bolivian families, and are recommitting to local, sustainable options that benefit the whole.  Visit a cafe near you to try our delicious new choice!

The baby chicks are here!  We picked them up with the Grandchildren and shared all about the miracle of receiving Special Breeds in the mail. The man at the post office was so precious about handing over the box to Kate. She said when we returned to the farm, “This is my best day ever!” I love the lessons that children can learn living on a farm! 

Tomato plants are in the ground, and we are keeping our fingers crossed for no more heavy frost. The greenhouse tomatoes now have golf ball sized tomatoes! Love the early start we got this year with the new greenhouse. Starts are abundant in the greenhouse and Lindsay is doing a great job of balancing mothering a small child, Newe, and keeping up with all the sprouts, wheatgrass and plant starts too!

Cacao, one of our Dexter cows, is pregnant and due in July.  We can’t wait to have a baby calf on the farm. The grandchildren are looking forward to that as well. Leche, our other Dexter, just returned from two months on the farm where we purchased her and we are hoping she is bred as well and will calf in December or January.

Artisana is a company we believe in.  They are committed to healthy, sustainable, quality pure packaged oils, butters and blends. They offer raw and organic, power-packed, consciously harvested nut-butters, tahini and coconut butters with minimal packaging. We love their mission and motion in the raw world, especially their dedication to keeping it simple.  We know that we can trust Artisana to come out with the most innovative concepts and the most pure products.

On Wednesday Artisana (also known as Premier Organics) announced receiving a grant from stopwaste.org to create and implement an innovative technology for using reusable wrapping for their product facilities in Oakland, CA.

Come see our new line of beautifully crafted, sustainably designed and socially just gifts and goodies of our online store and our retail areas of the cafes!  We have gorgeous products hand selected from local earth loving and socially conscious vendors lining our shelves.  Come vote with your dollars and buy the gift of gratitude, awareness and beauty.  Pictured is our new tote:  Veggie Wings, made of 100% organic cotton union crafted in San Francisco and printed with soy-based inks by Social Imprints.  

Social Imprints is a nonprofit screen printing and embroidery shop based in Oakland which provides higher paying employment to ex-offenders and recovering drug addicts. By partnering with Social Imprints, we are choosing one more way in which we are directly contributing to social change. Believing that business can change community for the better, both like-minded companies are continuing to seek out innovative ways in which to continue our partnership. For more information about our partnership with Social Imprints, go to www.socialimprints.com.

Veritable Vegetable is a shining bright company dedicated to sustainable and economical and environmental transformation and is the United State's oldest distributor of organic produce!  They live right here in San Francisco and are dedicated to advocacy for diversity and creative expression with integrity.  We have worked with Veritable Vegetable for years and we are proud to offer their beautiful rich produce at all of our restaurants.  

Veritable Vegetable donated to us ten cases of celery and a case of cranberries for our Thanksgiving Feast.  We love counting on them, love acknowledging them.  We are so partnered by them and the incredible work that they do in the world.  Read more about Veritable Vegetable and their deep deep roots at www.veritablevegetable.com.