Benefitting buffalo

The Chevy Suburban that singer-songwriter Jackson Browne donated to the Buffalo Field Campaign is playfully called "Running on Empty," a homage to both Browne's music and the Suburban's abhorrent gas mileage.

But more than a fun moniker, the vehicle represents a Browne's commitment to the Buffalo Field Campaign's cause.

"You have a handful of artists and musicians that really want to give back to things they believe in," said Mike Mease, co-founder of the Buffalo Field Campaign.

According to www.buffalofieldcampaign.org, the Buffalo Field Campaign is "working in the field every day to stop the slaughter of Yellowstone's wild free roaming buffalo."

The Buffalo Field Campaign has teamed with Browne, David Lindley and the Guacamole Fund to offer tickets to Browne and Lindley's Aug. 3 concert at the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse in Bozeman.

Tickets, priced at $250, are in rows 4 to 8 on the floor and include a special backstage aftershow reception and meet-and-greet with Browne.

The Buffalo Field Campaign's collaboration with the Guacamole Fund, which helps coordinate events for charitable institutions, extends to other artists as well, such as Bonnie Raitt and Crosby, Stills and Nash. And Mease can't say enough about their generosity, between tickets to sell for a profit, allowing literature distribution and outreach at shows, and becoming spokespeople for the group.

As of Sunday, there were still tickets available from www.guacfund.org, but Mease was unsure of how many more would be available.

"We've already had over 40 tickets to sell at profit," Mease said.

Normal tickets for the show are $61 and $46 plus fees and are available at www.ticketswest.com, the Fieldhouse Box Office, Rosauers, the Ask Us Desk in the Strand Union Building and by phone at 994-2287 or 1-800-808-5940.

Gardening expansion

When a supplier for Planet Natural suggested the online natural gardening store open retail stores across Montana, owner Eric Vinje thought a test run may be in order.

Aside from the main storage area and small retail outlet at 1612 Gold Ave., Vinje said he rents out 7 storage units in nearby warehouses to store products.

"We're just out of room here," he said.

So Vinje bought another building a few blocks away - the former Treehouse Kids space in the complex on the corner of Oak Street and Rouse Avenue. Construction on the 7,500-square-foot building to make the space suitable for retail begins this week and is expected to wrap up sometime in July.

Originally the project had been slated for spring, but Vinje was certain the expansion would be impossible in the middle of the peak garden season.

© 2012 The Bozeman Daily Chronicle. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.