"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." – Kelton Hays

From one Root

“It is part of our culture for everyone to make each other better. That includes the coaches!”  Jacque Vaughn said with joy in his voice during an interview after achieving a recent victory over his close friend’s team; a team for which Jacque played for many years ago, long before becoming the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets Basketball Team.  

But, was this a victory for only the members of the winning team?  That would be the common view.  But, something uncommon, exceptional, not apparent on the surface and significant can me discovered by examining the roots below the superficial.  To understand it, one would need to review the branches that have grown from one tree; a coaching tree, rooted in San Antonio.  It is also true of other strong roots, based on the same philosophy.

"All things work together. This is true for people, systems, and our environment. We desire to always take into consideration the whole picture. We long to leave things better than we found them.” Kelton Hays says as he describes the thinking of collaboration, regeneration and innovation specific to his venture, Cobblestone Farms.

On the surface Kelton appears to be a local farmer and he is. That would be the common view.  But, something uncommon, exceptional, not immediately apparent and exceptionally important is growing from roots being nourished at Cobblestone Farms.

Kelton rains down nourishment with words danced lightly for all to receive. "Never settle for doing things the way they've always been done! We never want to do things just because that is the way it's always been done. We believe it's important to always ask why and be open to learning.”  

Kelton’s view is shared to others as if from the world’s tallest peak, Mount Everest. Well,  perhaps more correctly stated, as if from the from Mount Everest.

Cultivate the land.  Kelton and his team believe that all people living near their farm should have access to fresh, nutritionally dense food.  So, they’ve transformed land, located in their city of about a half million people, into a farm to grow such food, so they can deliver long term prosperity.  In doing so, Kelton us cultivating more than land.  He’s cultivating the surrounding people at the same time.

Feed our community.  Everyone is welcome at Cobblestone Farms.  It’s a place where people come to get food as well as to be fed with shared knowledge.  Kelton coaches.  “This is a place where we help people solve issues in their own gardens.  It’s also a place where people come to teach others what they’ve learned while growing their own gardens.  We’ve become a community garden in that way!”

Pass it on.  “We are raising up the next generation of farmers by engaging our community through educational and volunteer opportunities.  We seek to make it better for everyone now and for those who are to come.”  Kelton said as he described how amazing branches are growing from Cobblestone Farms’ process of stimulating resilient roots.  It is part of the farm’s culture.

“It is part of our culture for everyone to make each other better. That includes the coaches!”  Jacque Vaughn said with joy in his voice during an interview after achieving a recent victory over his close friend’s team.

But, something uncommon, exceptional, not apparent on the surface and important was just below the surface of his comments.  To understand it, one would need to understand how strong branches are stimulated and grow from one nourishing root. Like the nourishing roots being cultivated at Cobblestone Farms.

"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together."