Today we’d like to introduce you to Camille James. Them and their team share their story with us below:
Camille is the owner of Juice 4 Life and founder of Halls of Ivy Academy, a nonprofit that develops programs geared towards bringing people of color back to the garden. Before her involvement in holistic health and agriculture, Ms. James worked for sixteen years as a website developer.
After a medical diagnosis in 2008, she decided to pursue a career in holistic nutrition which later evolved into a community juice bar and farmer’s market in Omaha, Nebraska. Later in 2018, Camille spent time living off-grid in Kauai, Hawaii to study herbalism, organic farming, and sustainability. She’s studied in gardens across the world and has now brought her skillsets back to Memphis.
Camille is a native of Los Angeles but has strong roots in Memphis, TN where she graduated high school and spent many years returning back as a public speaker. She’s the mother of two girls and grandmother of six. Ms. James recently moved back to Memphis in 2021 and is currently installing learning gardens and teaching a new program called Seed 2 Market at the Frayser Connect Center that supports a new generation of healthy food entrepreneurs.
Juice 4 Life is her way of showing others just how good the garden can taste. When she’s not planting seeds, she’s either sculpting or developing her upcoming children’s book series, What Color Am I Today.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
At the height of my career at Juice 4 Life, I experienced a miscarriage of twins, divorce, and the passing of my 13-month-old granddaughter Ivy Oshun Severson.
Grief overtook my life and I decided to get rid of most of my possessions, sold my house, and closed my business. I was offered an opportunity to farm in Kauai, Hawaii, and experience living life completely off the grid. https://urbanfarm.libsyn.com/426-camille-james.
That experience changed my approach to holistic living and I was inspired to start Halls of Ivy Academy, named after my granddaughter. Instead of approaching farming as just a food resource, I now develop programs that teach how food can also heal the mental and emotional self.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Juice 4 Life?
I am most known as the Juice Lady at Juice 4 Life, but that has evolved into a program under my nonprofit Halls of Ivy Academy. I use the juices as a method of packaging the garden into a delicious cup of living foods. The mission of our organization is to bring people of color back to the garden.
I realized that there is an obvious disconnect to the land due to the unfortunate history of African Americans and slavery. Yet, the healthy answers can be found in the garden for many of the common health disparities that plague people of color such as Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and depression.
Our agricultural programs are now being offered at the Frayser CDC, Everbloom Farmacy and the new installation of the University of Tennessee sponsored Frayser Urban Garden.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I believe more in faith rather than luck. A life that is purpose-driven garners the energy that brings opportunities to both my personal and business life.
Contact Info:
- Email: camillejames@hallsofivy.net
- Website: https://hallsofivy.net | https://ijuice4life.com
- Instagram: https://www.facebook.com/hallsofivycsa | https://www.facebook.com/juice4lifedrinks
- Facebook: instagram.com/hallsofivycsa | instagram.com/ijuice4life
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrgfYHUPsdATdcp3p1yeuEg
