[Music] [Applause]
[Applause]
[Applause] this is a story of how our dreams
this is a story of how our dreams
this is a story of how our dreams intentions imagination and choices can
intentions imagination and choices can
intentions imagination and choices can help change the world
help change the world
help change the world each and every day be true to your
each and every day be true to your
each and every day be true to your dreams be bold take chances you never
dreams be bold take chances you never
dreams be bold take chances you never know where it’s going to take you I’m
know where it’s going to take you I’m
know where it’s going to take you I’m dr. Christine Burke mark my husband and
dr. Christine Burke mark my husband and
dr. Christine Burke mark my husband and I own Evenstar organic farm here in
I own Evenstar organic farm here in
I own Evenstar organic farm here in Lexington Park when I was 13 I wanted to
Lexington Park when I was 13 I wanted to
Lexington Park when I was 13 I wanted to change the world don’t we all at 13 I
change the world don’t we all at 13 I
change the world don’t we all at 13 I grew up on Long Island in New York in a
grew up on Long Island in New York in a
grew up on Long Island in New York in a beautiful place surrounded by the forest
beautiful place surrounded by the forest
beautiful place surrounded by the forest a 30 minute bike ride to the nearest
a 30 minute bike ride to the nearest
a 30 minute bike ride to the nearest beach is a train ride to one of the most
beach is a train ride to one of the most
beach is a train ride to one of the most magnificent cities in the world I knew
magnificent cities in the world I knew
magnificent cities in the world I knew how blessed I was I had a roof over my
how blessed I was I had a roof over my
how blessed I was I had a roof over my head I had food on my table and I knew
head I had food on my table and I knew
head I had food on my table and I knew that because I was born in that place
that because I was born in that place
that because I was born in that place and at that time I had choices my
and at that time I had choices my
and at that time I had choices my Swedish heritage taught me the value of
Swedish heritage taught me the value of
Swedish heritage taught me the value of hard work to be resourceful to build
hard work to be resourceful to build
hard work to be resourceful to build things and to be appreciative although I
things and to be appreciative although I
things and to be appreciative although I sometimes have a little hard time with
sometimes have a little hard time with
sometimes have a little hard time with that last bit but I knew because of that
that last bit but I knew because of that
that last bit but I knew because of that happenstance of being born when and
happenstance of being born when and
happenstance of being born when and where I was that I had choices about
where I was that I had choices about
where I was that I had choices about what I could do with my life choices
what I could do with my life choices
what I could do with my life choices that not everyone has the opportunity to
that not everyone has the opportunity to
that not everyone has the opportunity to make see around that time I read an
make see around that time I read an
make see around that time I read an article in The New York Times it was
article in The New York Times it was
article in The New York Times it was about the famines in Bangladesh and in
about the famines in Bangladesh and in
about the famines in Bangladesh and in India and I realized that if you go to
India and I realized that if you go to
India and I realized that if you go to bed hungry every night you don’t have a
bed hungry every night you don’t have a
bed hungry every night you don’t have a choice you will beg borrow steal you
choice you will beg borrow steal you
choice you will beg borrow steal you will do anything you can do to survive
will do anything you can do to survive
will do anything you can do to survive and to put food on the table for you and
and to put food on the table for you and
and to put food on the table for you and your family and I decided that’s one way
your family and I decided that’s one way
your family and I decided that’s one way I could help the world I went to college
I could help the world I went to college
I could help the world I went to college to study food and nutrition and farming
to study food and nutrition and farming
to study food and nutrition and farming imagine me a kid imagine me a kid from
imagine me a kid imagine me a kid from
imagine me a kid imagine me a kid from the suburbs of New York going to learn
the suburbs of New York going to learn
the suburbs of New York going to learn about farming talk about a round peg in
about farming talk about a round peg in
about farming talk about a round peg in a square hole totally but I thought
a square hole totally but I thought
a square hole totally but I thought maybe just maybe if
maybe just maybe if
maybe just maybe if I could teach others what I learned if I
I could teach others what I learned if I
I could teach others what I learned if I could help others learn how to fish they
could help others learn how to fish they
could help others learn how to fish they could eat for a lifetime they could get
could eat for a lifetime they could get
could eat for a lifetime they could get beyond survival to a point where they
beyond survival to a point where they
beyond survival to a point where they could make choices about their lives I
could make choices about their lives I
could make choices about their lives I joined the Peace Corps went to Burkina
joined the Peace Corps went to Burkina
joined the Peace Corps went to Burkina Faso I worked the world over with US
Faso I worked the world over with US
Faso I worked the world over with US agency of International Development and
agency of International Development and
agency of International Development and when the time came to do something more
when the time came to do something more
when the time came to do something more local my husband and I decided to grow
local my husband and I decided to grow
local my husband and I decided to grow healthy food ourselves and we bought a
healthy food ourselves and we bought a
healthy food ourselves and we bought a farm on the western shore of the
farm on the western shore of the
farm on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay like many Southern Maryland farms it was
like many Southern Maryland farms it was
like many Southern Maryland farms it was a former tobacco farm about 50 acres of
a former tobacco farm about 50 acres of
a former tobacco farm about 50 acres of woods 50 acres of fields but when we
woods 50 acres of fields but when we
woods 50 acres of fields but when we first saw it the forest had been
first saw it the forest had been
first saw it the forest had been decimated decimated by somebody just
decimated decimated by somebody just
decimated decimated by somebody just trying to eat got a few more dollars
trying to eat got a few more dollars
trying to eat got a few more dollars it was so devastated I didn’t think I
it was so devastated I didn’t think I
it was so devastated I didn’t think I could live there but somehow it was as
could live there but somehow it was as
could live there but somehow it was as if the land chose us and we decided we
if the land chose us and we decided we
if the land chose us and we decided we would be good stewards we would help
would be good stewards we would help
would be good stewards we would help that land come back and we would treat
that land come back and we would treat
that land come back and we would treat it gently and with respect and so we put
it gently and with respect and so we put
it gently and with respect and so we put every penny we had and a whole lot we
every penny we had and a whole lot we
every penny we had and a whole lot we didn’t down to buy this land and because
didn’t down to buy this land and because
didn’t down to buy this land and because we had no money we pitched a tent and we
we had no money we pitched a tent and we
we had no money we pitched a tent and we lived in one of these barns we dug a
lived in one of these barns we dug a
lived in one of these barns we dug a hole in the ground where we cooked our
hole in the ground where we cooked our
hole in the ground where we cooked our dinners we learned the stars of the
dinners we learned the stars of the
dinners we learned the stars of the evening skies we heard all of the night
evening skies we heard all of the night
evening skies we heard all of the night sounds and we took a lot of really cold
sounds and we took a lot of really cold
sounds and we took a lot of really cold showers but we immediately transitioned
showers but we immediately transitioned
showers but we immediately transitioned it into an organic farm and in the
it into an organic farm and in the
it into an organic farm and in the 20-some years we’ve been there we have
20-some years we’ve been there we have
20-some years we’ve been there we have planted thousands of trees the forest
planted thousands of trees the forest
planted thousands of trees the forest has come back the native pollinators are
has come back the native pollinators are
has come back the native pollinators are in abundance and our farm feeds
in abundance and our farm feeds
in abundance and our farm feeds thousands of people good healthy
thousands of people good healthy
thousands of people good healthy nutritious food people who choose to
nutritious food people who choose to
nutritious food people who choose to support our farm and by supporting our
support our farm and by supporting our
support our farm and by supporting our farm they’re supporting that land and
farm they’re supporting that land and
farm they’re supporting that land and the health of the Chesapeake Bay
in the years we’ve been there we’ve
in the years we’ve been there we’ve employed about 250 people most of them
employed about 250 people most of them
employed about 250 people most of them originally students from the local
originally students from the local
originally students from the local honors college they didn’t have a
honors college they didn’t have a
honors college they didn’t have a farming background but they came and
farming background but they came and
farming background but they came and they stayed with us year after year
they stayed with us year after year
they stayed with us year after year after year they became our four women
after year they became our four women
after year they became our four women and our four men we made mistakes my
and our four men we made mistakes my
and our four men we made mistakes my husband and I went out farmers by
husband and I went out farmers by
husband and I went out farmers by background lots and lots of mistakes and
background lots and lots of mistakes and
background lots and lots of mistakes and as we learned they learned they argued
as we learned they learned they argued
as we learned they learned they argued politics and philosophy in the fields
politics and philosophy in the fields
politics and philosophy in the fields they ate well and they learned my
they ate well and they learned my
they ate well and they learned my husband a former chef lucky me and so
husband a former chef lucky me and so
husband a former chef lucky me and so microbiologist taught them about good
microbiologist taught them about good
microbiologist taught them about good food and about healthy ecosystems when
food and about healthy ecosystems when
food and about healthy ecosystems when it came time for them to leave us they
it came time for them to leave us they
it came time for them to leave us they even though they never intended to go
even though they never intended to go
even though they never intended to go into food and farming they’ve gone on to
into food and farming they’ve gone on to
into food and farming they’ve gone on to do amazing things with their lives
do amazing things with their lives
do amazing things with their lives things in agriculture international
things in agriculture international
things in agriculture international development environmental law and in our
development environmental law and in our
development environmental law and in our own small way as a local business we’ve
own small way as a local business we’ve
own small way as a local business we’ve helped to generate a whole new
helped to generate a whole new
helped to generate a whole new generation of passionate workers who are
generation of passionate workers who are
generation of passionate workers who are going on into the field and creating
going on into the field and creating
going on into the field and creating change in their own way
about the time we bought our farm an
about the time we bought our farm an opportunity came up for me to work on a
opportunity came up for me to work on a
opportunity came up for me to work on a local project helping our tobacco based
local project helping our tobacco based
local project helping our tobacco based economy transition into a new one based
economy transition into a new one based
economy transition into a new one based on food and natural resources we worked
on food and natural resources we worked
on food and natural resources we worked to bring the community together to
to bring the community together to
to bring the community together to support each other consumers and farmers
support each other consumers and farmers
support each other consumers and farmers artisan businesses schools and parks we
artisan businesses schools and parks we
artisan businesses schools and parks we developed a campaign centered around the
developed a campaign centered around the
developed a campaign centered around the theme your choice matters your choice
theme your choice matters your choice
theme your choice matters your choice matters with every purchase that you
matters with every purchase that you
matters with every purchase that you make with every bite that you take your
make with every bite that you take your
make with every bite that you take your dollar power you choose where your
dollar power you choose where your
dollar power you choose where your dollar power goes and what it supports
dollar power goes and what it supports
dollar power goes and what it supports for example if all 126 million
for example if all 126 million
for example if all 126 million households across the United States were
households across the United States were
households across the United States were to spend eight dollars for 12 weeks at a
to spend eight dollars for 12 weeks at a
to spend eight dollars for 12 weeks at a farmers market or with a farm that’s
farmers market or with a farm that’s
farmers market or with a farm that’s basically the summer season we would
basically the summer season we would
basically the summer season we would reinvest 12 billion dollars that is a
reinvest 12 billion dollars that is a
reinvest 12 billion dollars that is a whole lot of money going back into our
whole lot of money going back into our
whole lot of money going back into our farmers pockets and a whole lot of money
farmers pockets and a whole lot of money
farmers pockets and a whole lot of money going in to support our local economy we
going in to support our local economy we
going in to support our local economy we didn’t stop there
didn’t stop there
didn’t stop there we noticed that at times of the year
we noticed that at times of the year
we noticed that at times of the year there’s a lot of extra product in the
there’s a lot of extra product in the
there’s a lot of extra product in the field those gorgeous luscious tomatoes
field those gorgeous luscious tomatoes
field those gorgeous luscious tomatoes or melons things that maybe just have
or melons things that maybe just have
or melons things that maybe just have that little blemish or they might just
that little blemish or they might just
that little blemish or they might just be surplus but in any case they just
be surplus but in any case they just
be surplus but in any case they just weren’t going to make it to market and
weren’t going to make it to market and
weren’t going to make it to market and they sat wasting in the fields on the
they sat wasting in the fields on the
they sat wasting in the fields on the other hand we have a growing hunger
other hand we have a growing hunger
other hand we have a growing hunger community was being served by the food
community was being served by the food
community was being served by the food banks and by the pantries and bless the
banks and by the pantries and bless the
banks and by the pantries and bless the food banks and pantries for doing what
food banks and pantries for doing what
food banks and pantries for doing what they do
they do
they do but a lot of the food was non perishable
but a lot of the food was non perishable
but a lot of the food was non perishable or canned goods and nobody was
or canned goods and nobody was
or canned goods and nobody was connecting the dots so we worked to
connecting the dots so we worked to
connecting the dots so we worked to influence public policy at a broader
influence public policy at a broader
influence public policy at a broader level I’ve worked with members of our
level I’ve worked with members of our
level I’ve worked with members of our state delegation to introduce a bill
state delegation to introduce a bill
state delegation to introduce a bill that would incentivize farmers to donate
that would incentivize farmers to donate
that would incentivize farmers to donate those extra products to the hunger
those extra products to the hunger
those extra products to the hunger community and by creating an incentive
community and by creating an incentive
community and by creating an incentive to cover the costs just a little of the
to cover the costs just a little of the
to cover the costs just a little of the cost to pick pack put it on the truck
cost to pick pack put it on the truck
cost to pick pack put it on the truck and deliver it to the nearest pantry or
and deliver it to the nearest pantry or
and deliver it to the nearest pantry or soup kitchen or food hub we created a
soup kitchen or food hub we created a
soup kitchen or food hub we created a win-win-win a win for our farmers and
win-win-win a win for our farmers and
win-win-win a win for our farmers and our local economy a win for Public
our local economy a win for Public
our local economy a win for Public Health and a win for the environment
I bring to you a startling observation
I bring to you a startling observation it’s been said that in the next 15 years
it’s been said that in the next 15 years
it’s been said that in the next 15 years 70% of our farms will transition into
70% of our farms will transition into
70% of our farms will transition into new hands and the question is into whose
new hands and the question is into whose
new hands and the question is into whose hands we can choose if we want to keep
hands we can choose if we want to keep
hands we can choose if we want to keep our farm lands as farms we can choose to
our farm lands as farms we can choose to
our farm lands as farms we can choose to go just a little out of our way we can
go just a little out of our way we can
go just a little out of our way we can shop at a farmers market at a farm stand
shop at a farmers market at a farm stand
shop at a farmers market at a farm stand we can join a CSA Community Supported
we can join a CSA Community Supported
we can join a CSA Community Supported Agriculture for weekly deliveries of
Agriculture for weekly deliveries of
Agriculture for weekly deliveries of food from a local farm and we can shop
food from a local farm and we can shop
food from a local farm and we can shop and dine at stores and restaurants that
and dine at stores and restaurants that
and dine at stores and restaurants that truly truly buy from our local farms
truly truly buy from our local farms
truly truly buy from our local farms this is my husband the guy with the
this is my husband the guy with the
this is my husband the guy with the tomato on his head you can see why I
tomato on his head you can see why I
tomato on his head you can see why I love him we can mindfully and
love him we can mindfully and
love him we can mindfully and intentionally choose to support our
intentionally choose to support our
intentionally choose to support our local businesses and when we do that we
local businesses and when we do that we
local businesses and when we do that we keep our local economy thriving we help
keep our local economy thriving we help
keep our local economy thriving we help our country stay beautiful and
our country stay beautiful and
our country stay beautiful and prosperous but when we can and when it
prosperous but when we can and when it
prosperous but when we can and when it makes sense
makes sense
makes sense change is good we need change we need
change is good we need change we need
change is good we need change we need our global economy who in this audience
our global economy who in this audience
our global economy who in this audience couldn’t imagine living without our
couldn’t imagine living without our
couldn’t imagine living without our cellphones and yet that wasn’t the case
cellphones and yet that wasn’t the case
cellphones and yet that wasn’t the case even 15 years ago but we can choose by
even 15 years ago but we can choose by
even 15 years ago but we can choose by using our purchasing power we can choose
using our purchasing power we can choose
using our purchasing power we can choose and help create the kind of change we
and help create the kind of change we
and help create the kind of change we want to see the kind of lifestyle we
want to see the kind of lifestyle we
want to see the kind of lifestyle we want to see the kind of world we want to
want to see the kind of world we want to
want to see the kind of world we want to see for ourselves our children and our
see for ourselves our children and our
see for ourselves our children and our children’s children food is the catalyst
children’s children food is the catalyst
children’s children food is the catalyst it brings everyone to the table to have
it brings everyone to the table to have
it brings everyone to the table to have important conversations like this one to
important conversations like this one to
important conversations like this one to talk about what kind of a future we want
talk about what kind of a future we want
talk about what kind of a future we want to see and how we each and every single
to see and how we each and every single
to see and how we each and every single one of us can influence change locally
one of us can influence change locally
one of us can influence change locally and globally let’s not let change
and globally let’s not let change
and globally let’s not let change determine our culture and environment
determine our culture and environment
determine our culture and environment but let’s be sure that we ourselves
but let’s be sure that we ourselves
but let’s be sure that we ourselves determine the kind of change we want to
determine the kind of change we want to
determine the kind of change we want to see in the end your choice matters
see in the end your choice matters
see in the end your choice matters [Applause]
[Applause]
[Applause] [Music]
”
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