and my life was changed in 2009 by a tiny lemon tree how many of you heard
tiny lemon tree how many of you heard
tiny lemon tree how many of you heard this story excellent so uh I’ve held a
this story excellent so uh I’ve held a
this story excellent so uh I’ve held a number of jobs just like the first lady
number of jobs just like the first lady
number of jobs just like the first lady you know I won’t go through them all but
you know I won’t go through them all but
you know I won’t go through them all but as she said or you know I was a navy
as she said or you know I was a navy
as she said or you know I was a navy veteran I worked on a cruise ship I did
veteran I worked on a cruise ship I did
veteran I worked on a cruise ship I did all kinds of weird stuff and at no point
all kinds of weird stuff and at no point
all kinds of weird stuff and at no point that it occurred to me that food was
that it occurred to me that food was
that it occurred to me that food was grown if someone had asked me where does
grown if someone had asked me where does
grown if someone had asked me where does food come from I would have definitely
food come from I would have definitely
food come from I would have definitely said from the grocery store and moved on
said from the grocery store and moved on
said from the grocery store and moved on with my life
with my life
with my life it wasn’t until one hot summer day
it wasn’t until one hot summer day
it wasn’t until one hot summer day looking for looking for air-conditioning
looking for looking for air-conditioning
looking for looking for air-conditioning actually just to be honest with you
actually just to be honest with you
actually just to be honest with you looking for air-conditioning that we
looking for air-conditioning that we
looking for air-conditioning that we ended up in a drugstore my daughter and
ended up in a drugstore my daughter and
ended up in a drugstore my daughter and I who was a toddler happened to walk
I who was a toddler happened to walk
I who was a toddler happened to walk into this nursery and I was just mildly
into this nursery and I was just mildly
into this nursery and I was just mildly curious didn’t make any sense for me to
curious didn’t make any sense for me to
curious didn’t make any sense for me to be there I’d never occurred to me to go
be there I’d never occurred to me to go
be there I’d never occurred to me to go into a nursery why would I I’m a woman
into a nursery why would I I’m a woman
into a nursery why would I I’m a woman of the world and you know corporate
of the world and you know corporate
of the world and you know corporate Kelly we went in there and happened to
Kelly we went in there and happened to
Kelly we went in there and happened to walk past this tiny little two-foot tree
walk past this tiny little two-foot tree
walk past this tiny little two-foot tree with a giant growth on it like when I
with a giant growth on it like when I
with a giant growth on it like when I say giant I mean like a grapefruit sized
say giant I mean like a grapefruit sized
say giant I mean like a grapefruit sized lemon dangling off of this two-foot tree
lemon dangling off of this two-foot tree
lemon dangling off of this two-foot tree this being East Oakland I thought it was
this being East Oakland I thought it was
this being East Oakland I thought it was a I thought it was being it had been
a I thought it was being it had been
a I thought it was being it had been vandalized so I tried to pluck the
vandalized so I tried to pluck the
vandalized so I tried to pluck the living off the tree and of course it did
living off the tree and of course it did
living off the tree and of course it did just come right off right so I had to
just come right off right so I had to
just come right off right so I had to put some strength into it and I look up
put some strength into it and I look up
put some strength into it and I look up at my daughter who was probably about
at my daughter who was probably about
at my daughter who was probably about four and I said hi I think this is a
four and I said hi I think this is a
four and I said hi I think this is a lemon tree and my daughter who has never
lemon tree and my daughter who has never
lemon tree and my daughter who has never been impressed with anything that I’ve
been impressed with anything that I’ve
been impressed with anything that I’ve said this is dumb right so I buy the
said this is dumb right so I buy the
said this is dumb right so I buy the tree you know just because I’m curious I
tree you know just because I’m curious I
tree you know just because I’m curious I buy the tree I buy one of those Oscar
buy the tree I buy one of those Oscar
buy the tree I buy one of those Oscar the Grouch galvanized steel
the Grouch galvanized steel
the Grouch galvanized steel garbage cans and two bags of compost
garbage cans and two bags of compost
garbage cans and two bags of compost take it to my backyard pour water on it
take it to my backyard pour water on it
take it to my backyard pour water on it and dare it to grow some more lemons and
and dare it to grow some more lemons and
and dare it to grow some more lemons and it did and in that moment my mind was
it did and in that moment my mind was
it did and in that moment my mind was blown
blown
blown that was the first time it ever occurred
that was the first time it ever occurred
that was the first time it ever occurred to me that food was actually grown you
to me that food was actually grown you
to me that food was actually grown you know here in California the breadbasket
know here in California the breadbasket
know here in California the breadbasket of America we have all these farms but I
of America we have all these farms but I
of America we have all these farms but I I don’t know about you I’ve never see
I don’t know about you I’ve never see
I don’t know about you I’ve never see anybody working on the farms when I’m
anybody working on the farms when I’m
anybody working on the farms when I’m driving down Highway five I never see
driving down Highway five I never see
driving down Highway five I never see anybody there sometimes it’s just dirt
anybody there sometimes it’s just dirt
anybody there sometimes it’s just dirt sometimes there has actually stuff out
sometimes there has actually stuff out
sometimes there has actually stuff out there growing but I never see anybody
there growing but I never see anybody
there growing but I never see anybody actually growing it so this had never
actually growing it so this had never
actually growing it so this had never crossed my mind
crossed my mind
crossed my mind I’m completely inspired and and inspired
I’m completely inspired and and inspired
I’m completely inspired and and inspired to do more than just grow more things
to do more than just grow more things
to do more than just grow more things inspired to really reinvent myself again
inspired to really reinvent myself again
inspired to really reinvent myself again from military Kelley from corporate
from military Kelley from corporate
from military Kelley from corporate Kelley from you know party Kelley to
Kelley from you know party Kelley to
Kelley from you know party Kelley to actually you know farmer Kelley so when
actually you know farmer Kelley so when
actually you know farmer Kelley so when I started experimenting you know because
I started experimenting you know because
I started experimenting you know because like the words that came out of my mouth
like the words that came out of my mouth
like the words that came out of my mouth were you grow lemons on trees what else
were you grow lemons on trees what else
were you grow lemons on trees what else can you grow I ran back to the nursery
can you grow I ran back to the nursery
can you grow I ran back to the nursery and got tomatoes and cilantro and grapes
and got tomatoes and cilantro and grapes
and got tomatoes and cilantro and grapes and all kinds of things and lots and
and all kinds of things and lots and
and all kinds of things and lots and lots of garbage cans to grow them in I
lots of garbage cans to grow them in I
lots of garbage cans to grow them in I have all these plants and I am caught up
have all these plants and I am caught up
have all these plants and I am caught up in learning how to grow them right I’m
in learning how to grow them right I’m
in learning how to grow them right I’m buying books and pamphlets I’m going to
buying books and pamphlets I’m going to
buying books and pamphlets I’m going to stalks trying to learn everything I can
stalks trying to learn everything I can
stalks trying to learn everything I can about how to grow everything I can grow
about how to grow everything I can grow
about how to grow everything I can grow and it finally you know another light
and it finally you know another light
and it finally you know another light dawned on me that the same exact care
dawned on me that the same exact care
dawned on me that the same exact care and study that I’m putting into learning
and study that I’m putting into learning
and study that I’m putting into learning how to grow things I need to be putting
how to grow things I need to be putting
how to grow things I need to be putting into my daughter oh who at the time just
into my daughter oh who at the time just
into my daughter oh who at the time just you know she was four and she was just
you know she was four and she was just
you know she was four and she was just kind of like a job you know another
kind of like a job you know another
kind of like a job you know another thing for me to do along with doing the
thing for me to do along with doing the
thing for me to do along with doing the dishes and whatnot so another thing in
dishes and whatnot so another thing in
dishes and whatnot so another thing in addition to raising my daughter well
addition to raising my daughter well
addition to raising my daughter well better than I had been farming made me a
better than I had been farming made me a
better than I had been farming made me a more connected person it made me really
more connected person it made me really
more connected person it made me really get in touch with humanity as a whole
get in touch with humanity as a whole
get in touch with humanity as a whole understanding that everybody eats and
understanding that everybody eats and
understanding that everybody eats and that the food that we eat comes from
that the food that we eat comes from
that the food that we eat comes from somewhere and that we need to focus on
somewhere and that we need to focus on
somewhere and that we need to focus on how to how to do all of this better
how to how to do all of this better
how to how to do all of this better farming did that mean I started acting
farming did that mean I started acting
farming did that mean I started acting on verba youth urban farm project in a
on verba youth urban farm project in a
on verba youth urban farm project in a quarter acre farm a quarter acre slice
quarter acre farm a quarter acre slice
quarter acre farm a quarter acre slice of Park and deep East Oakland sass frog
of Park and deep East Oakland sass frog
of Park and deep East Oakland sass frog a part where I work with kids aged 5 to
a part where I work with kids aged 5 to
a part where I work with kids aged 5 to 13 the kids plan plant harvest and sell
13 the kids plan plant harvest and sell
13 the kids plan plant harvest and sell the produce that we grow organically and
the produce that we grow organically and
the produce that we grow organically and 100% of those dollars are placed into
100% of those dollars are placed into
100% of those dollars are placed into individual savings accounts for them
individual savings accounts for them
individual savings accounts for them through our partnership with US bank
thank you thank you thank you
thank you thank you thank you so camp AMV is a four season camp we
so camp AMV is a four season camp we
so camp AMV is a four season camp we have our one week in spring eight weeks
have our one week in spring eight weeks
have our one week in spring eight weeks during the summertime one week during
during the summertime one week during
during the summertime one week during Thanksgiving break and two weeks during
Thanksgiving break and two weeks during
Thanksgiving break and two weeks during winter break where the kids get to do
winter break where the kids get to do
winter break where the kids get to do all kinds of things that they may not
all kinds of things that they may not
all kinds of things that they may not actually have a chance to do without us
actually have a chance to do without us
actually have a chance to do without us go hiking cook food actually take a take
go hiking cook food actually take a take
go hiking cook food actually take a take chances out in nature to be able to
chances out in nature to be able to
chances out in nature to be able to experience all of those things so ACTA
experience all of those things so ACTA
experience all of those things so ACTA non verba is Latin for deeds not words
non verba is Latin for deeds not words
non verba is Latin for deeds not words that’s how I try to live my life that’s
that’s how I try to live my life that’s
that’s how I try to live my life that’s how I run my organization our little
how I run my organization our little
how I run my organization our little farmers age 513 now I changed the or
farmers age 513 now I changed the or
farmers age 513 now I changed the or translated the words again to mean don’t
translated the words again to mean don’t
translated the words again to mean don’t talk about it be about it and that’s
talk about it be about it and that’s
talk about it be about it and that’s what I like to leave you with thank you
what I like to leave you with thank you
what I like to leave you with thank you very much
”
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