Butternut Buddhas was founded in April 2015 when Joni Cooke volunteered her labour for two farm friends and fell in love with the mission of growing organic food. Along side of the simple mission of making hyper-local fresh food available to a wide audience, Butternut Buddha strives to cultivate a sweet productive oasis for others to visit where they learn farm skills and and enjoy getting their hands in the earth. Now Butternut Buddha has expanded to almost a full acre of vegetables on rich black earth in Richmond.
Joni Cooke is a yogi and shiatsu massage therapist in the winter and salad farmer in the spring and summer. Gardening has been a constant theme throughout her life, working at a young age alongside her mother in flower gardens, as well as working on orchards and vegetable gardens on100 acres up in Lillooet, and on 4 acres down in New Mexico. Her passion for farming is based as much on providing high nutrient fresh food to her family and friends as it is in contributing to local organic food security.
