Growing with Nature
Once a barren landscape, MA Center San Ramon — Amma’s first US ashram — is now a living example of her vision to bring harmony to nature through sustainable and compassionate cultivation of land and resources. In 2007, Amma asked that a thousand fruit trees be planted at the center, and thus GreenFriends Farm was born. Amma blessed the 1,000th sapling during the 2019 retreat. A vegetable market garden was added in 2019.
Today, with rolling hills of fruit trees, GreenFriends Farm has blossomed into an educational center for ecologically conscious agriculture — a destination for enjoying nature and a vibrant spot for volunteers of all ages. Using the guiding principles of permaculture and Soil Food Web technology, the goal is to shift the way we work with the earth.
Working with Sustainable Practices
Permaculture is a design science that creates living environments with the diversity and resilience of nature. GreenFriends Farm has hosted Permaculture Design Certification Courses with eminent teachers including Geoff Lawton and Darren Doherty, in collaboration with Common Vision and Living Mandala, and serves as a hands-on classroom for the San Francisco Permaculture Design Course. Practices include keyline plowing, soil-erosion prevention, companion planting and beekeeping.
Soil Food Web is the science of soil microorganisms and their interaction with plants and the earth. In the orchards, Soil Food Web techniques transform hard clay soil into fungal-dominant soil suited to fruit trees. The farm has been honored to host Dr. Elaine Ingham and her Soil Food Web course for several years. Practices include regular compost tea and extract applications, heavy fungal-rich mulching, thermal composting, and cover cropping.
Order fresh organic fruit from the GreenFriends Farm store, or learn more at greenfriendsfarm.org. To sponsor courses, events or farm activities, email info@greenfriendsfarm.org.
