Hannah Wheeler ’20

Agriculture has always been a part of Hannah Wheeler’s life. She grew up on a 40-acre hobby farm in Hudson, Mich., and exhibited market steers at the local county fair.

Gabe Miller, ’20

Gabe chose to major in sustainable food systems because it will enable him to work with interlocking issues related to the environment, justice and human rights. ­­­­­

Stephan Powless, ’21

Unlike most undergraduates, Stephan is a 32-year-old father of three with an eight-year career in the military behind him. Stephan is spending the summer of 2018 in Merry Lea’s Agroecology Summer Intensive (ASI) because of his interest in gardening and homesteading.

Ryan Miller, ’19

When Ryan becomes Goshen College’s first sustainable food systems graduate in 2­­­­019, his resume will include familiarity with both small scale sustainable farming and conventional farming practices.

Clayton Wassilak, ’19

Clayton is pursuing a double major in biology and environmental studies with a minor in geography. While biology helps him understand individual organisms, geography gives him an understanding of the places they inhabit and why they live there.

Stephan Rauh ASI ’16

Stephan Rauh wants to be part of a movement toward greater health–community health, individual health and ecosystem health. That’s why he accepted a position as production farmer at Hungry World Farm in Tiskilwa, Ill. Hungry World Farm aims “to educate and inspire people about healthy food, fields and bodies…

Bursting with life: the greening of May

Picture a plant pushing upwards its unfurling leaves and stalks, bit by bit, reaching for more light, pulsing with the moisture of spring rains and warming soil.  It happens each day in spring as we sit in front of computers, as we sleep, as we drive and shop.  Life…

End of Winter: looking back, looking forward

As winter comes to a close, we at Merry Lea are experiencing more transition than usual as the winds of March blow in.   Big changes–positive changes–are ahead for Merry Lea Sustainable Farm and our residential programs.  Given the growing attention to food and sustainability issues in our world, Goshen College has…

Mischler Duo to Lead Agroecology Efforts

In early January, John and Ruth Mischler joined the Merry Lea Team. The couple shares one position, with John as the director of agroecology and Ruth working quarter time as an assistant professor in the Sustainability and Environmental Education Department. The two are delighted to be able to work at…

Alum Pairs Farming and Environmental Education

Carli Thompson Carli Thompson, class of 2012, is a farmer-educator at Cloudview Farm in central Washington. Although it has taken her time to get used to the dry and sparse landscape in the rain shadow of the Cascades, she appreciates the many beauties that are there, from the deeply…