Pepper Tree Farm is a year-round day program for children with disabilities.
Boys and girls facing tough challenges in the outside world will be welcomed to a tranquil place all their own. They will ride horses, walk miniature animals, plant vegetables, play instruments, sing songs, enjoy hayrides & live the good life in the beauty of Pepper Tree Farm.
The founders of Pepper Tree Farm believe every child deserves to feel cherished and are grateful to every adult who makes that possible. Happy children! Happy grown-ups!
We had a wonderful 2024!
Check out photos from our inaugural Pepper Tree Farm Family Fun Days!
Pepper Tree Farm
Family Fun Days 2025
Pepper Tree Farm is located in one of the most stunning settings within the Santa Monica Mountains – Topanga Canyon.
A Spiritual Haven
Beside gurgling streams, thick trees, rolling hills, craggy mountains and magnificent rock formations, Topanga Canyon is one of the spiritual centers of Los Angeles. Yes, L.A. has a sacred core.
A thousand years ago, Native Americans were living near Topanga beach. Although some members of the Tongva tribe were alive at the beginning of the 20th Century, by 1911, Hollywood arrived, shooting feature films at the base of Topanga.
Through the years, Topanga has been a haven for artists, musicians, dancers, actors, writers, professors and other creative types, including people fleeing oppressive countries, looking for peace and tranquility.
Pepper Tree Farm fits perfectly into the ethos of Topanga Canyon. Our population – boys and girls with overwhelming medical needs – thrives in the serenity of the outdoors, where it is quiet enough to hear birds chirping and calm enough to feel a breeze floating across your forehead.
“In the wilderness lies the hope of the world.” – John Muir
REMEMBER ME
So, as you stand upon a shore, gazing at a beautiful sea - remember me.
As you look in awe at a mighty forest and its grand majesty - remember me.
As you look upon a flower and admire its simplicity - remember me.
Remember me in your heart, your thoughts, your memories of the times we loved,
the times we cried, the times we fought, the times we laughed.
For if you always think of me, I will never be gone. – Margaret Mead
Remember Me Trees
To honor loved ones who have passed on, children who were snatched away too soon or lucky oldsters who outlived their allotted time, there will be a meadow blooming with Remember Me Trees.
Oaks, Sycamores, and other native trees will fill the field, providing a place to celebrate those we will never forget.
Remembering David Abrams and His Grandparents
Grandma Janet & Grandpa Max Salter
“The world awaits your wonder.” – Vince Gorman
Please help our sweet boys and girls live life to the fullest.
Every child deserves a magical childhood. For those with physical and mental disabilities, navigating the world is not easy. Pepper Tree Farm will be a sanctuary for these very children. It will offer the caring companionship of animals in a safe place of natural beauty. Thousands of youngsters from Special Education programs will flourish in our enchanted world.
Pepper Tree Farm is A Non-Profit Foundation. It welcomes children of all faiths, ethnicities, disability types and gender identities. Federal Tax ID #92-4026702
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Sally Struthers, Actress – President
International Children’s Ambassador; past Board member, Special Olympics; animal activist
Brendon Pollis – Vice President
Area Vice President, Gallagher, Southern California
Elizabeth (Liz) Spencer – Secretary
Director of Family Resource Center, Westside Regional Center; Family Advocate; parent
Harriet Zaretsky, Esq – Treasurer
Past Board Chair, CASA LA; Jewish World Watch
Sarah Braun, Esq, MBA – Board member, Jewish Family Services
Chayim Frenkel – Cantor, Kehillat Israel; member, Cantors Assembly
Hon. Terry Friedman, Judge (ret) – past state legislator; past Executive Director, Bet Tzedek
Richard Greenberg – President, State of the Heart Productions, Inc; Instructor, UCLA Extension; past Chair, Verde Valley School; Author
Hawk Koch, Producer – past President, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; Board member, Motion Picture & Television Fund
Jen Miner, MA, MED – Political activist/organizer; Board member, Palisades Democratic Club & California Environmental Voters
Dr. Clive Svendsen – Director, Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai, Los Angeles; son of Dr. Elizabeth Svendsen, founder of the Donkey Sanctuary, U.K.
