About Us

At Living Tree Community Foods we manufacture organic nut butters in Berkeley, California. We distribute our creations worldwide. We are well represented in natural foodstores throughout the United States.

Contribution to California Agriculture

In 1979, Jesse Schwartz, a former college teacher and John Kozack a teacher and administrator with the BioDynamic Farming and Gardening Association of Southern California founded Living Tree Community in Marin County, California. We propagated historic and heirloom fruit trees, including over 80 varieties of old time apple varieties. Through the miracle of grafting we made “photocopies” and propagated them in quantity. We gathered many of these varieties on fruit exploring expeditions in Mendocino County, the Santa Cruz Mountains and the Sierra foothills. We were often guided by old timers who had grown up in the orchards and knew every tree. We bought back from near extinction several early California varieties including Hauer Pippin, Skinner’s Seedling and Pink Pearl, a pink fleshed variety.

We also introduced the Warren pear to California agriculture. It was discovered by T.O. Warren, a distinguished member of the North American Fruit Explorers. He found it in a rural area of Louisiana. He at once noticed something unusual despite the heat and humidity, it was free of fireblight. Its refreshingly sweet taste and fine texture were also exceptional. Family farmer Al Courchesne of Frog Hollow Farms in Brentwood commissioned us to transform, an orchard of nondescript pears to Warren Pear. We did so over three years by a sophisticated grafting technique called frameworking, joining scions of Warren Pear onto the primary and secondary branches.

By leaving the trees intact we brought them back into full production in less than half the time it would have taken to plant an orchard anew. In regard to bringing back these fine, heirloom varieties, Thomas Jefferson wisely said, The greatest service which can be rendered any country is to add a useful plant to its culture.

In addition to growing trees, we began manufacturing almond butter, which we offered in our tree catalog.

After a decade of propagating trees, we closed the Nursery. Jesse Schwartz founded Living Tree Community Foods in Berkeley and we have since devoted ourselves to manufacturing and distributing organic food. Wherever possible we buy our ingredients from family farmers. In particular, our almonds, pistachios, figs, dried peaches, apricots, nectarines and medjool dates are grown by family farmers here in California. We feel privileged to support them.

Contribution to American Agriculture

We propagated magnificent heirloom apple varieties like Calville Blanc d’Hiver, a magnificent French winter apple. It was among Thomas Jefferson’s favorites. Then there was Hudson’s Golden Gem, a fine, old English russet and Reinette Simirenko, an apple popular throughout Russia and Ukraine. Rather than put these trees in a “tree museum” we were convinced that the best way to preserve them was to grow them so we distribute them widely and they are growing backyards throughout America.

Contribution to the Live Food Movement

We distribute alive nut butters, olive oil and olives worldwide. We introduced black sesame tahini at the Natural Products Expo in Anaheim, California in 2003. Our main creation is alive almond butter made from California almonds.

We donate food in support of live foods events – most recently the live food film festival in Los Angeles.

We have donated food in support of live food workshops from Colorado to Costa Rica and have worked with leading live food teachers in organizing workshops and seminars.

Our inspiration in live food and healing movement comes from several sources. First there is Professor Arnold Ehret. He came to California from Germany in the 1920’s. He was the first great teacher here of health and natural healing. His Rational Fasting is a classic which we heartily recommend.

Then there is Dr. Bernarr, D.C. D.D. of Los Angeles. He is a brilliant and original thinker. We recommend a visit to his website. His essays on Contagion and Breast Cancer are monuments to a compassionate and wholistic approach to serious illness. He offers an alternative to fear and dread, relying on mobilizing the healing and restorative power of the body.

For years we’ve been advocating green drinks and energy soups. We draw upon the work of another great California naturopath, Dr. H. E. Kirscher, M.D. His Nature’s Healing Grasses is a classic. Using an ordinary kitchen blender one can make a green drink of parsley, celery, chard, lettuce and kale that is healing and invigorating. Please visit our Living Tree Energy Soup.

Every day we receive emails and phone calls from enthusiasts and we endeavor to guide them toward more and more aliveness.

We are taking a leading role in the effort to contest the Marketing Order that requires that all almonds be fumigated as of September 1st, 2007.

We are an ethical business and we treat our clients and team members with kindness and respect. We support the Buffalo Field Campaign and the Restore the Hetch Hetchy Campaign.

We are also an educational association. For years we’ve had an internship program offering a gateway to personal evolution and an opening to a career in the organic food industry.

We welcome inquiries about our work.

With appreciation,

Jesse Schwartz, Ph.D, C.E., M.S., B.C.E
President
Living Tree Community Foods