Hi friends. Meet @caseeylynn . Recently her and her boyfriend moved from busy San Francisco to an Orange Grove in Orange County. He great grandfather bought the grove about 100 years ago, so you could say oranges are in her blood. Casey spends her days maintaining the property and a small roadside fruit stand that operates on the honor system. Follow along this week as we get a sneak peak into this beauty and the life she lives.
What is love?
Love is what makes you a unique and irreplaceable being.
What is paradise?
Paradise is swimming in a secret watering hole after a long hike to the middle of nowhere with no one around but my boyfriend and my dog.
Tell me about the orange farm you live on.
Our orange grove has been in my family for over one hundred years. It is four and a half acres of Valencia Oranges, Fuerte Avocados, and other seasonal citrus and produce grown smack-dab in the middle of Orange County. We have a roadside fruit stand where we sell everything we grow to our community. The stand is run on the honor system and we have customers who have been buying our oranges for over 50 years! My Gampa always said oranges are in our blood and I believe in that. That’s why we made the decision to uproot our lives in San Francisco to continue the legacy of this grove that's one of the last of Orange County’s namesake.
What is one Casey fun fact?
I saved a baby crow that ended up in the middle of the street while learning how to fly. I ran out into the road stopping traffic and brought him into the middle of the grove as a safe place to practice flight. Fast forward a year later and I have a crow who drops shiny metal objects at my door. I’m pretty sure it’s the baby crow—happy and healthy, bringing me gifts as a thank you.
What would you say has been your best investment?
My 1990 Miyata 721A touring bicycle. I bought it right after I moved to SF. Having my bike allowed me to experience the Bay Area using all my senses. I rode and camped all up and down Northern California and I was able to take in little details that most people drive right past. It was extremely satisfying earning every mile and memory on my bike.
What are you most afraid of?
My loved ones dying.
What experiences in life shaped you most?
I played competitive soccer for most of my life. It was everything for so long that most of my adolescent memories are blurred into one long soccer tournament. It taught me about commitment, discipline, and hard work, and it made me a very strong person. Soccer defined who I was for 18 years and when I stopped playing after college, it was like starting a whole new life for myself. I think that’s what gave me the self-confidence and drive to be whoever I please and live a life that I really love.
When is the last time you felt pure bliss?
The other night when Jordon and I were camping above a lake on the Mount Whitney trail... hunkering down in the tent after a hailstorm, just as we were falling asleep, a coyote started howling and its song was echoing off the walls surrounding the lake. Being there, no one else around, enjoying that private performance was pretty dang blissful!
What is your secret talent?
I’m really good at placing people’s dog doppelgängers. For example, Tilda Swinton’s is a Greyhound.
What did you learn from living in San Francisco?
Oh man, I learned so much! I learned how important it is for me to surround myself with creative and thoughtful people. I learned that I need to escape into nature often to clear my mind and feel sane. I learned the ins and outs of the floral industry. I learned how to survive off of restaurant tips and that I love really good food. And I learned that the world is a whole lot smaller than you think.
How has failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success?
There have been plenty of times where I just wanted to get something done so I rushed or half-assed it and it always ended up being more work down the road. I have learned to slow down and do things properly and with intention the first time. I believe that has greatly increased my success in all aspects of my life.
What have you changed your mind about in the past few years? Why?
I decided to step away from doing wedding florals. I find so much joy in arranging flowers and think it is a wonderful creative outlet, but the wedding industry was sucking the joy out of it for me. There is such a large negative environmental impact with the importation of flowers and the waste in weddings that I wanted to rethink and find a different approach to florals. Luckily for me, moving down to the grove has provided me with the space to grow my own flowers and a roadside stand to sell them. Now my florals have more layers; from starting the seed, to caring for the gardens, eventually harvesting the flowers and then arranging them into simple bouquets, it all means so much more now. Of course, it’s no money-maker but it sure has put the joy back in it for me.
When you think of the word successful, who is the first person that comes to mind?
Andy Goldsworthy. He is the ultimate collaborator with Nature.
What is the biggest realization you have had about yourself?
I thrive on positive reinforcement. I’m always like, “I cleaned the litter box and did the dishes!” Just so my boyfriend will tell me I did a good job.
What have you learned from selling fruit from a fruit stand?
I’ve learned that for every 1 shitty human who steals from the stand, there are 10 wonderful humans who appreciate what we provide and leave an extra buck or two to “pay it forward”. I believe in that kindness.
