Support

We need your HELP!

Please, be part of this very exciting project by making a donation today.

Art in Nature the Nature of Art Festival is a FREE event. That means we are passionate about creating a container in which art can exist without the exchange of money, without you having to take out your wallet to connect to art and beauty. As you can imagine, hosting a FREE event is a challenge in these times. There are permits we need to buy, there is insurance we need to purchase, and there are basic expenses that are unavoidable. Not to mention the thousands of hours that go into creating the event. How, then, can we make the Festival happen? With a huge amount of donated time and effort on behalf of the Samavesha team and all the artists involved. But that is not enough. The other way we can make this happen is by your kind generosity.

Donate now to show your support. Donate now if you too are passionate about supporting the arts and wish to see events like this happen in your community.

Along the trail are twelve distinctively themed areas offering a diversity of artistic expressions, delights, and surprises.

There will be no vendors, or items for sale in the park. We need your support to provide this free festival to the community.

Levels of support:

Redwood: $10,000 and up

Oak: $5000 to $9,999

Laurel: $2,500 to $4,999

Manzanita: $500 to $2,499

Poppy: $100 to $499

Acorn: $10 to $99

For contributions of $500 or more, your name, or the name of a loved one, will be connected with the theme area of your choice. The name will appear on the sign for your theme area and on festival publicity. This is the perfect gift for any lover of the arts, nature, and public parks.

Or send a check to:

Samavesha

1520 Milvia Street

Berkeley, CA, 94709

Your donations are tax-deductible.

If you’d like to make a donation in honor or memory of someone, simply make your donation and then send an email to info@samavesha.org with the person’s name and address. We will send an acknowledgment in the mail to the recipient or their family.

Thank you!

Bariani Extra Virgin Olive Oil - ‘Our Extra Virgin Olive Oil starts its life not in the bottle or after the olive pressing but at the root of our trees.

Our family gives particular care to the entire extraction process from the tending of the orchard to the bottling of the oil, opting for quality rather than quantity.

Our process of extraction is true to the origins and art of olive oil making and we will continue this millenary tradition for you to enjoy at the table.’ More info...

La Tercera by Annabelle Lenderink -

Annabelle has an affinity for trying new things. Long before dino kale was popular, Annabelle was growing it and convincing people to buy it. They realized she was right. Unusual squashes, fun varieties of pumpkins, delicious greens and a range of herbs are all growing on Annabelle's four acre organic farm in Bolinas and a list of the names is sounds like a tour of Europe-Galeuase v'Eysines, Marina d'Chioggia, and Musquee d'Provence. Delicious and unusual, her produce has captured the imagination of chefs and restaurants throughout the Bay Area. Visit Annabelle's booth, during the growing season, at one of her farmers' market locations. More info...

Catalán Family Farm - Maria Catalán got her start farming at the Rural Development Center (now ALBA) in Salinas, and started her family farm operation in Hollister in 2001. During María's childhood in the Mexican state of Guerrero, her grandfather grew melons and other foods to feed the family; María wanted to pass both the delicious food and the knowledge on to her four children. María believes that children, whether or not they intend to be farmers, should know how to raise their own food in a way that respects the air and the earth. In order to promote this philosophy, the farm partners with Northern California high schools and universities to bring students to the farm to work, eat home-cooked Mexican food, work at markets, and get a sense of farming life in a Latino community. More info...

Spring Hill Jersey Cheese - Located in Sonoma County California, a herd of 400 Jersey cows provides the milk for Spring Hill Jersey Cheese's growing line of farmstead cheeses. Smaller that Holsteins, (the archetypal black- and white- cow), which produce a greater quantity yield, the milk of Jersey cows contains a higher butter fat, resulting in an incomparable rich, creamy flavor. Because of its low quantity yield, the Jersey is no longer common in most commercial dairy operations. Larry Peter began his dairy in 1987, and started producing Spring Hill Jersey Cheese in 1998. The homestead, artisan cheese produced by Spring Hill is made entirely from the milk of pasture-grazed Jersey cows. The difference in taste is staggering. More info...

Guru Ram Das Orchards - ‘In this orchard, you can’t see to the end of a row. Citrus anchors the hillside, standing like fantastically bushy Christmas trees hung with fat orange ornaments. Before them spring lithe green almonds; behind them arms of hot pink blossoms reach wildly toward the sky. The understory flows from low clover to grass high enough to tickle branches, and the landscape above changes literally from tree to tree. Here is a meadowlark atop a regal walnut, next to it a young nectarine tree girdled with compost. The wind is harsh here, but in the thick grove of Valencias two rows over it is merely a rustle, leaving the air draped with the perfume of nearby Meyer lemons. From any perspective you might see the mingling branches of plums, pears, persimmons, and peaches.’ More info...

Farmer Joe’s is committed to bringing you the best quality and a wide-range of products, at very reasonable prices, while maintaining a warm and friendly atmosphere in our stores. We have a deep concern about our customers, employees, community and environment and believe strongly in choosing our actions with future generations in mind. We make a special effort to buy from local farms. By buying locally, we support our farmers, provide customers with the freshest products available, and minimize fuel for product transport. We say, “Support our local farmers and vendors, along with our local economy!” More info...

Trade Joe’s -

It all started in the 50s...
‘Would you believe we started out as a small chain of convenience stores? It's true. Way back in 1958. We were called Pronto Markets. In '67, our founder, the original Trader Joe, changed our name (yes, to Trader Joe's) and the way we do business. We made the stores bigger (if you can imagine), decked the walls with cedar planks and donned our crew in cool Hawaiian shirts. Most importantly, we started putting innovative, hard-to-find, great-tasting foods in the "Trader Joe's" name. That cut our costs and saved you money. Still does.’ More info...

Food Mill -

Dating back to 1933, THE FOOD MILL is Oakland's original health food store. Since 1993, The Watkins Family have owned and operated the store. The Food Mill is dedicated to helping our customers make better decisions about their health and well-being, while providing the finest quality food and supplements available anywhere. We feature organic foods and the areas largest selection of bulk foods, vitamins and supplements. The Food Mill has also been known for its home-made baked goods and nut butters! More info...

Green Earth Cafe & Bakery. We believe that food should not only be cooked with the freshest of ingredients, but also be made with LOVE. Established in 2012, the Green Earth Café and Bakery is committed to serving Local, Organic, Vegan and Ethical food infused with macrobiotic principles. Combining a wide range of unique and flavorful dishes with a menu that changes seasonally, it is our hope that you leave feeling whole, healthy, and with a desire to come visit us again! More info: http://greenearthcafeandbakery.com

Café Aquarius opened in 2007 with the goal of becoming the finest neighborhood restaurant anywhere. Featuring a large kitchen and bakery staffed with friendly and talented folks, the restaurant offers breakfast, lunch, and weekend brunch services. Additionally, fresh baked goods, locally roasted shade-grown coffee, beer and wine, and a fantastic catering department round out the selection. Simple food done very well is the mantra. True control freaks, the bread, dressings, marinates, sauces, desserts, soups, pastries, and just about everything else are made right on site. Simple, but finely crafted, casual yet elegant, Café Aquarius enjoys taking all your expectations of a neighborhood restaurant and lifting them to the stars! More info: http://www.cafeaquarius.net

The Natural Grocery Company. Our produce departments are all organic!!! We no longer carry any commercial items. The Organic Industry has changed and grown to the point where there is enough supply and variety of produce items that we can carry only organic. Our commitment to organic has always been strong but we felt that we needed to balance it with our customers‘ needs for items that were not available organically. We now feel that we are able to do both by carrying only organic. More info: http://www.naturalgrocery.com

Riverdog Farm. Our farm is certified by California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) and is located in the beautiful Capay Valley where rich creek-bottom soil, intense summer heat and winter frost make exceptionally tasty fruits and vegetables. Partners Tim Mueller and Trini Campbell, along with their daughter and 50 full time employees, keep the farm going year-round. The seasonal, organic produce is available through Riverdog Farm’s Community Supported Agriculture Program (weekly veggie box deliveries to neighborhoods), wholesale distributors, select retail markets, and at all Berkeley Farmers’ Markets. More info: http://riverdogfarm.com

In-Kind Food Supporters

The Cheese Board Collective was founded on November 6, 1967 by Elizabeth and Sahag Avedesian as a privately owned business. They opened up on Vine Street in the small shop where the Juice Bar (another collective) is now located. Beginning with just a few hundred dollars on cheese they grossed $95 on their first day of business. The Cheese Board Collective is a business wholly owned by its members. For tax and liability purposes it has been incorporated, with each collective member an equal shareholder and member of the board of directors. Upon joining each member is given ten shares worth $100/share. When a member leaves these shares are sold back to the corporation. All members are paid an equal hourly wage. Profits go to buy new equipment, raise wages, or are placed into our retirement fund. Moneys placed into this fund are distributed based on hours worked. More info...

The Phoenix Pastificio is a wholesale and retail dealer for uncooked organic pasta and ravioli, fresh-baked breads and pastries and pasta sauces. It uses only organic flour in all pastas and baked goods, and most other ingredients are also organic. The Phoenix Pastificio also serves three main kinds of 12'' pizzas for carry-out only, during Mondays through Thursday between 3pm and 7pm. The featured pizzas served are wild mushroom and prosciutto, roast chicken with bell peppers and Greek-style, but customers can request other combinations. The Phoenix Pastificio products can also be found in various local farmers' markets. More info...

Blossom Bluff Orchards has been family farmed by four generations of fruit lovers. We are currently home to nearly 200 varieties of tree fruit spanning the flavor spectrum from tangy Minneola tangelos to syrupy sweet Hachiya persimmons. Summer is when we really shine, producing everything from classic peaches, plums and nectarines to exotic pluots, apriums and pecotums. Whether they're historic heirlooms or the newest hybrids, if they taste good, we'll probably try to grow them. More info...

Frog Hollow Farm is a thriving 133-acre organic farm located in Brentwood, California on the Sacramento River Delta (just one hour from San Francisco). The farm produces 25 varieties of peaches, nectarines, cherries, apricots, pluots, plums, Asian and European pears, and table grapes. More info...

Massa Organics is part of a small family farm located along the Sacramento River near Chico, California. Massa Organics is managed by Greg Massa and Raquel Krach, in partnership with Greg's parents, Manuel and Mary Beth. We grow organic whole grain brown rice, which is available in two-pound packages, or in bulk. We partner with other members of the organic community to distribute our rice through farmers markets, CSA's (Community Supported Agriculture), and grocery stores. More info...

With an energy that makes you sweaty just watching, Andy Szachnowicz and Cindy Yang show up at area farmers' markets to slam out plates of vegetarian Thai food fresh-tasting enough to belie its chafing-dish origins. Free-range chicken in coconut-milk curry has plenty of moist chew, while TVP-filled egg rolls retain a near-miraculous crunch... More info...

Smit Orchards is located in Linden, California, about 30 minutes east of Stockton Ca., on your way through the foothills going towards Lake Tahoe. Smit Orchards was established in 1969 by the Smit Family. John Smit emigrated from the Netherlands to Northern California in hopes of starting a dairy. In America, he met his bride, Clazien, also from the Netherlands and they both established a dairy ranch. More info...

Gabriel Farm is a 14 acre Organic farm located in the ideal fruit growing climate of Sebastopol, California. The Farm features 8 varieties of Asian Pears, several varieties of Apples, Fuyu Persimmons, Lavender, Plums and many sorts of berries. Gabriel Farm is the definition of a traditional “family farm”. This is where we live, work and raise our family. As organic farmers, we are devoted to the idea of sharing the process of raising our fruit with the folks who ultimately will eat our fruit. With this in mind, we encourage everyone who eats our fruit to come visit our farm, at least once, to see how we go about raising what we hope is a most delicious piece of fruit.. More info...

We want to acknowledge and give thanks to those who helped us with IndieGoGo campaign for Art In Nature: the Nature of Art 2012. To you goes our deep gratitude:

Heidi Ektvedt, Shamini Dhana, Carrie Katz, Laura Koch, Maja Bengtson, Emilie Kollock, Adrian Arias, Diane Dew, Valerie Chafograck, Mara Chitayat, Phillip Garrison, Carolin Rechberg, Deborah K. Tash, Johnny Hornung.