Destination: Green Gulch Farm Zen Center

It's easy to miss the unassuming Green Gulch Farm Zen Center. Nestled in a valley off a particularly winding drive toward Muir Beach, it's probably best to keep your eyes locked on the road anyway.

But once you make the sharp left into the center, you've stumbled upon a hidden treasure of sorts, a serene farm and Buddhist community right in your backyard. Less then five miles from downtown Mill Valley, Green Gulch is open to the public, making it the perfect destination to enjoy a picnic, explore the gardens or contemplate one's spirituality.

"There is an intention here to provide a serene and restorative ceremonial space," said Jeremy Levie, a Buddhist priest and the center's director. "I find the land incomparably beautiful."

Also known as Green Dragon Temple, the center is a practice facility for the Japanese Soto Zen Buddhist tradition. Its 115 acres are home to 60 or so residents, an organic farm, and a fruit, herb and flower garden. The residential monastery also offers a vast array of retreats and workshops, and operates a Japanese-style guest house and conference center.

Curious gardeners come here from far and wide to learn about organic gardening, whether it's through hands-on classes, volunteer opportunities or a six-month apprentice program, which emphasizes Buddhist teachings.

"Sometimes, when people hear of Green Gulch, they want to learn more about organic gardening," said Christine Palmer, the center's garden volunteer coordinator. "And some people come for a period of healing."

The bounty of the farm supplies not only Green Gulch residents and other Zen centers, but Fort Mason's vegetarian Greens Restaurant, which the San Francisco Zen Center owns, and a stall at the city's Ferry Plaza's farmers market on Saturday.

Green Gulch is one of three facilities operated by the San Francisco Zen Center. Originally a dairy farm owned by George Wheelwright, co-founder of Polaroid film, it was sold in 1972 to Zen Center with the provision that it remain open to the public, non-commercial and engaged in agriculture.

Other than meandering among the grounds, there are several ways to interface with Green Gulch. One place to start is by attending one of its Sunday programs.

"Sundays are a really great opportunity for folks who want to check us out," Levie said.

The day includes meditation, a lecture, tea and lunch, and it's also a good time to shop the plants, bread, honey and lavender products the farm creates onsite.

Children are provided with their own programs, with crafts, yoga and ritual offerings. In addition to being a field trip destination for schools, the center offers a coming-of-age class for seventh- and eighth-grade girls and boys.

Green Gulch doesn't just feed the soul (and stomach) - it also recognizes the natural beauty around it. Because the property sits in the heart of the Redwood Creek Watershed, the center is working with the National Parks Service to naturalize the property's creek, which had been redirected with concrete barriers before the Zen Center took over. The hope is to not only allow the creek to develop naturally, but to restore the natural salmon spawning site that used to exist.

The center's interest in gently coaxing the creek back to its natural environment is indicative of the lessons it hopes to pass on its visitors and residents.

"Green Gulch is a resource for people to come to process the deeper changes in their lives," said Levie. "I think a lot of people avail themselves to Green Gulch just for that reason."