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.

They propagated historic and heirloom fruit trees, including over 80 varieties of old time apple varieties, bringing back from near extinction several early California varieties including Hauer Pippin, Skinner's Seedling and Pink Pearl, a pink fleshed variety.

They also introduced the Warren pear to California agriculture when family farmer Al Courchesne of Frog Hollow Farms in Brentwood commissioned them to transform an orchard of nondescript pears to Warren Pear.

Through a sophisticated grafting technique called frameworking, joining scions of Warren Pear onto the primary and secondary branches and leaving the trees intact, they brought them back into full production in less than half the time it would have taken to plant an orchard anew.

Today, Living Tree Community Foods distributes alive nut butters, olive oil and olives worldwide.

Featured Product!

Living Tree Community Foods began making almond butter over 25 years ago. At first their almond butter was roasted, but today their energy goes into making alive almond butter.Living Tree has developed a proprietary process. They make it slowly, over several days. They slice, they do not grind. They make it frequently, in small batches, to be sure it remains fresh and alive. Learn more here >>