Meet Our Team
Iyalode Kinney, Founder/Garden Director of CURME, is an Earth mother, plant medicine woman, ethnobotanist, metaphysician, health conductor/practitioner, personal Shamba, Leaf Doctor, urban guerilla gardener, and alchemist. Her life and work embody the spirit of the Earth. She encourages all to volunteer at community gardens, start our own gardens, and to become responsible for our own health and the health of our environment. She possesses the gift of putting the welfare of people and the Earth first in her life. This is rare in a society which focuses on the pursuit of material and technological gain. She is truly a global teacher and a sage in her profession.
"As a child growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area in the 1950’s, I was
drawn to the many wild plants surrounding the hills, marshland, mountains,
valleys, and beaches of various microclimates of the land. It was during one of
my forages in the soil that I came to know the freedom of experiencing nature.
I was six years old. I started on my quest of working with the soil, cultivating people and plants, together, in a healing environment. Plants - flowers, herbs, leaves, seeds, bark, roots, and stems - called to me.
"I was laughed at, running around picking and eating plants, bringing plants to school for lunch, trying to pass edible flowers around at dinnertime. The laughter and ridicule didn’t bother me; my calling was larger than what some people thought of me. In school, the more I was told “no,” the more determined I became.
"During the 50’s and 60’s little black girls did not do what I wanted to do. I was told science was too hard; girls didn’t climb trees, study entomology, etc. I received a degree in Ornamental Horticulture because that’s about the only thing offered me at the time. I enjoyed the best of both worlds, a formal plant education with a “wild places” education. During my early college years I traveled extensively going to South and Central America, learning from the people of various cultures what I already knew in my heart from my childhood vision quest. I have since lived in Africa, Australia, the Amazon, and more, continuing to re-learn the lessons ALL our ancestors knew, those lessons which allowed them to live in a spiritually sustainable world for thousands of years. I had no idea that I was on my way to cultivating people and plants by creating culinary medicine gardens, edible landscaping and garden pharmacies, locally, nationally and worldwide.
"CURME was founded in 1999 to remind communities of their spiritual connection to the earth through the power of gardening. We build/create gardens that are outside classrooms and living/learning laboratories, inspiring all of us how to grow our own in a way that restores the health of the land, the water, the people, and the community. We reclaim vacant lots and schoolyards and turn them into flourishing gardens of utility and beauty where human, animal and botanical life mingle and create shared and sustained value. In these havens, we provide job training to the homeless, edible landscaping is grown to offer high quality nutrition for the hungry, and medicinal plants and garden pharmacies are grown to assist in the healing of those without healthcare, and provide education for creating a consciousness that combines spirituality and ecology, offering hope for the future. Our gardens preserve land and diverse plant ecologies that have lived with people since time immemorial. Our work also preserves stories and traditional knowledge of biodiversity. People share their inherited cultural knowledge of gardening and healing. School children learn from elders, adults eagerly pass on the stories of plant propagation and healing remedies learned from their elders; parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. A rich, yet common living knowledge, a wealth of historical biological understanding and human value, often ignored, is not only preserved through our work – it is thriving.
"CURME’s work is of great value not only to marginalized people but also to us all. While honoring and perpetuating the richness of so called “ethnoscience,” I (CURME) support us all in appreciating and respecting the richness and necessity of diversity in the world."
"As a child growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area in the 1950’s, I was
drawn to the many wild plants surrounding the hills, marshland, mountains,
valleys, and beaches of various microclimates of the land. It was during one of
my forages in the soil that I came to know the freedom of experiencing nature.
I was six years old. I started on my quest of working with the soil, cultivating people and plants, together, in a healing environment. Plants - flowers, herbs, leaves, seeds, bark, roots, and stems - called to me.
"I was laughed at, running around picking and eating plants, bringing plants to school for lunch, trying to pass edible flowers around at dinnertime. The laughter and ridicule didn’t bother me; my calling was larger than what some people thought of me. In school, the more I was told “no,” the more determined I became.
"During the 50’s and 60’s little black girls did not do what I wanted to do. I was told science was too hard; girls didn’t climb trees, study entomology, etc. I received a degree in Ornamental Horticulture because that’s about the only thing offered me at the time. I enjoyed the best of both worlds, a formal plant education with a “wild places” education. During my early college years I traveled extensively going to South and Central America, learning from the people of various cultures what I already knew in my heart from my childhood vision quest. I have since lived in Africa, Australia, the Amazon, and more, continuing to re-learn the lessons ALL our ancestors knew, those lessons which allowed them to live in a spiritually sustainable world for thousands of years. I had no idea that I was on my way to cultivating people and plants by creating culinary medicine gardens, edible landscaping and garden pharmacies, locally, nationally and worldwide.
"CURME was founded in 1999 to remind communities of their spiritual connection to the earth through the power of gardening. We build/create gardens that are outside classrooms and living/learning laboratories, inspiring all of us how to grow our own in a way that restores the health of the land, the water, the people, and the community. We reclaim vacant lots and schoolyards and turn them into flourishing gardens of utility and beauty where human, animal and botanical life mingle and create shared and sustained value. In these havens, we provide job training to the homeless, edible landscaping is grown to offer high quality nutrition for the hungry, and medicinal plants and garden pharmacies are grown to assist in the healing of those without healthcare, and provide education for creating a consciousness that combines spirituality and ecology, offering hope for the future. Our gardens preserve land and diverse plant ecologies that have lived with people since time immemorial. Our work also preserves stories and traditional knowledge of biodiversity. People share their inherited cultural knowledge of gardening and healing. School children learn from elders, adults eagerly pass on the stories of plant propagation and healing remedies learned from their elders; parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. A rich, yet common living knowledge, a wealth of historical biological understanding and human value, often ignored, is not only preserved through our work – it is thriving.
"CURME’s work is of great value not only to marginalized people but also to us all. While honoring and perpetuating the richness of so called “ethnoscience,” I (CURME) support us all in appreciating and respecting the richness and necessity of diversity in the world."
Jimmie (Gymme) Cry IV is Co-Director of Youth/Community Development at CURME.
"I attended college in Los Angeles and graduated from USC.
"I have worked a variety of positions, but none have provided the
satisfaction, enjoyment and pleasure derived from working in urban agriculture
at CURME!"
Jimmie was born and bred in the East Bay and has lived most of this 50 plus years here.
"I attended college in Los Angeles and graduated from USC.
"I have worked a variety of positions, but none have provided the
satisfaction, enjoyment and pleasure derived from working in urban agriculture
at CURME!"
Jimmie was born and bred in the East Bay and has lived most of this 50 plus years here.
"My name is Lena Henderson and I am a resident of Richmond.
"I started gardening when I was six years old with my Grandmother, Mrs.
Lillie Mae Jones, who started CYCLE (Community Youth Council for Leadership and Education). I have been working with CYCLE and with CURME since 2008.
"I am very passionate about working and seeing change in the community. We have to teach our youth how to care about where they live in Richmond, which requires them to respect themselves, one another and the community. I’ve been working with CYCLE and CURME at The Greenway, Verde Elementary, Lake Elementary,
The Peace Garden and with The Lots of Crops project in North Richmond. "Love What You Do and May PEACE BE WITH YOU!!!! "
"I started gardening when I was six years old with my Grandmother, Mrs.
Lillie Mae Jones, who started CYCLE (Community Youth Council for Leadership and Education). I have been working with CYCLE and with CURME since 2008.
"I am very passionate about working and seeing change in the community. We have to teach our youth how to care about where they live in Richmond, which requires them to respect themselves, one another and the community. I’ve been working with CYCLE and CURME at The Greenway, Verde Elementary, Lake Elementary,
The Peace Garden and with The Lots of Crops project in North Richmond. "Love What You Do and May PEACE BE WITH YOU!!!! "
Oya Kali - "I came to CURME over 10 years ago (1999) as a urban gardening volunteer in
the West Oakland community gardens project.
"I have worked in various capacities in the CURME organization, from digital
media intern, to public relations coordinator, to administrative consultant.
Working with Iyalode 'our Modern day Medicine woman' has been an amazing
experience.
"I have watched CURME grow from an idea to a powerful organization in the
community and it is an honor to have been a part of the evolution.
"Helping to heal communities in need of nutrient rich foods is a spiritually
enriching line of work. In all honesty, working at CURME has inspired me to
continue my academic enrichment .
"I have now earned a Masters in Public Health from UC Berkeley and look
forward to helping CURME bring gardening interns to work with vulnerable
populations in African countries as community health educators."
the West Oakland community gardens project.
"I have worked in various capacities in the CURME organization, from digital
media intern, to public relations coordinator, to administrative consultant.
Working with Iyalode 'our Modern day Medicine woman' has been an amazing
experience.
"I have watched CURME grow from an idea to a powerful organization in the
community and it is an honor to have been a part of the evolution.
"Helping to heal communities in need of nutrient rich foods is a spiritually
enriching line of work. In all honesty, working at CURME has inspired me to
continue my academic enrichment .
"I have now earned a Masters in Public Health from UC Berkeley and look
forward to helping CURME bring gardening interns to work with vulnerable
populations in African countries as community health educators."
Sally Rademaker - "I have volunteered my time with CURME since I met Iyalode in 2003.
"I met CURME"S founder Iyalode Kinney working with the East Bay Conservation Corps Health and Garden Project in Oakland Public Schools.
"She trained us on worm composting and growing herbs and vegetables
naturally. Since then I have worked with her in Richmond at the Richmond
Farmer's Market selling herbal skin products, distributing free seeds,
information on gardening, nutrition, and how to make healthy homemade cleaners.
"I have volunteered at Community Plant Give-ways and other events in
Richmond.
"Currently, I am working in Oakland as a Garden Educator in an after school program and bring a lot of trainings and materials from CURME to my lessons."
"I met CURME"S founder Iyalode Kinney working with the East Bay Conservation Corps Health and Garden Project in Oakland Public Schools.
"She trained us on worm composting and growing herbs and vegetables
naturally. Since then I have worked with her in Richmond at the Richmond
Farmer's Market selling herbal skin products, distributing free seeds,
information on gardening, nutrition, and how to make healthy homemade cleaners.
"I have volunteered at Community Plant Give-ways and other events in
Richmond.
"Currently, I am working in Oakland as a Garden Educator in an after school program and bring a lot of trainings and materials from CURME to my lessons."