An Indiana Food Summit brings together local food fans. A small contingent of folks from the Elkhart County region attended a statewide local food event in Indianapolis in early October. The Indiana Local Food Summit was organized by Purdue University and held at the Ivy Tech…
by Jon Zirkle, Director of Agroecology Summer Intensive at Merry Lea My teaching in the Agroecology Summer Intensive has been completed, and since fall is my favorite season, I’m now reveling in the beauty that autumn brings with its glorious light and color displays. My eyes are better…
Students in the Agroecology Summer Intensive 2016 visiting the DeCamp Gardens, Albion, Ind. The summer of 2016 at Merry Lea was exciting for the students and Goshen College staff participating in the Agroecology Summer Intensive (ASI). The cohort of ASI students experienced an abundance of new learning opportunities…
It’s hard to believe that just a few weeks ago we played broomball over lunch break. Walking back from the frozen wetland, I heard a black-capped chickadee call out the famous “fee-bee,” the notes a whole step apart and clear as a bell. With the limited snow and warmer temperatures this year, it…
Even with this mild winter, we have had a few opportunities to play our favorite winter game at Merry Lea. Broomball is a game that is much like hockey but it is played with regular shoes instead of skates, and a broom and a ball, instead of…
At the start of the month, Merry Lea Sustainable Farm successfully delivered its tenth week of vegetables, herbs, and value-added products to the ten households participating in our fall community supported agriculture (CSA) program. Since the program began in late August, the fields continued yielding salad mix, broccoli, beets, turnips,…
If there is any word to describe the month of October, I would choose community. As the farm slows a bit, more events are possible to invite guests to experience the farm, and conferences and workshops are again possible with greater intention. Colors on the farm change from greens…
Farm management: that’s what September means we are focused on at Merry Lea Sustainable Farm. Agroecology students have left for the summer, cooler weather is coming, and there are many projects to tend with the first frost not so far away. It is a month of cover cropping, fall…
The annual tradition of having all faculty and staff from Goshen College come to Merry Lea for a retreat again happened this August. It is an odd day for farm crew members, as we take the day off to reflect, share meals with others, give tours, enjoy conversation with…
Once in a blue moon… June 1st, July 1st and today, July 31st , the significant dates of the ASI program and the dates of this summer’s full moons. I knew as an urban farmer that I was in for something different when I came to Merry Lea. Little…
