Passing of Dale Hess on March 1, 2015

Dale Hess: a great man with a lifelong commitment to sustainable agriculture and social justice. May you rest in peace.

In my two years of knowing Dale, he cared deeply about treating the Earth with respect as God’s creation. Dale was raised in Africa, and part of him will always be there. I will remember him every time I plant sorghum, harvest the grapes for making juice, when making soil blocks in the greenhouse, and on chicken butchering days. I think of him every time I eat yogurt, a food he almost always had in his lunch box. At the MOSES conference in La Crosse, I bought a glass mug this year in his honor. It was Dale that got some of our staff to go this fine conference each year, and I’m honored to have attended in 2014 with him.

It is my hope to have student blog entries with further reflections on their time spent with Dale. Look for more stories soon.

– Jon Zirkle