The Rice House Home Page

Community Description

Area Description

Oakland, the seat of Alameda County lies on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay.  It is 3 miles across the bay from San Francisco, and is one of the busiest shipping centers in California.  It is a major transportation center.  Its port is one of the world's busiest ports for container ships.  The whole East Bay Area, including Alameda and neighboring Contra Costa Counties has a population of 2,082,900.  

Municipalities With Macrobiotic Services Or Activities

Albany, Berkeley, Castro Valley, Concord, El Cerrito, Freemont, Lafayette, Martinez, Moraga, Oakland, Pleasant Hill, Richmond, San Ramon, Union City, Walnut Creek.

Summary and Impressions of the Community

The East Bay, consisting of Alameda and Contra Costa Counties, has many excellent counselors and cooks, and some activities. The main activities for residents in this area, however, are in the Peninsula south of San Francisco, where people from the East Bay and Marin County, just north of the City, converge for area wide functions. In 1982, Kaare Bursell started serving macrobiotic meals in his apartment; by 1983, it developed into a center.  It grew from 25 people twice a week to 75 - 100 people daily for lunch and dinner.  There were weekly lectures until it peaked in 1993. Now vitamins have replaced food for many people.  

Macrobiotic Community Assessment

Abundant Services: 4 Counselors & 2 cooking teachers.  Moderate Activities: Monthly study group; dinners in Peninsula. Macro center from 1983 to 1993.

Professional Services

Resident Counselors

Michelle Nemer, Kaare Bursell, Kerry Loeb.

Resident Cooking Teachers

Michael Bauce, Michelle Nemer.

Visiting Counselors and Cooking Teachers

None

Professional Cooks or Caterers

Michael Bauce.

Support System

Paid or Potluck Dinners

Not in the East Bay.  See San Francisco & Peninsula for the center of macro activities in the Bay Area.

Education Centers

Kaare counsels tutorials.  There is space in the Oakland Café for lectures and cooking lessons.

Seminars

None

Newsletter

In the past, Bill Neall self-funded a newsletter for several years but it is no longer published. Peninsula has a newsletter.

Support Groups

Monthly study group free at Kaare's house.  They discuss world events and macrobiotics.

Work Study Program

Kaare Bursell's 12 month tutorial program for counselors; 2 hours per month and readings.  

Publications, Books, Cassettes

At Oakland Café and other health food stores  

Web Sites

http://naturalgrocery.com/; http://grainaissance.com/; http://www.alchemycalpages.com/; http://www.dreamtime.net/mall/kaare/index.htm; http://www.berkeleybowl.com

Natural Food Sources

Macrobiotic Restaurants

Elmwood Natural Foods and Organic Café serve macrobiotic food; another 11 restaurants with vegan options, in addition to Whole Foods and Wild Oats whole food stores.  

Natural Food Chain Stores

Whole Foods, Wild Oats  

Independent Natural Food Stores

Moraga Nutrition, Good Nature Grocery, Lakeshore Natural Foods, Piedmont Grocery, Berkeley Bowl, Real Foods, Berkeley Natural Grocery, El Cerrito Natural Grocery, Food Mill.

Natural Food Coops

None

Mail Order Buying Clubs

None

Cottage Industries

None