There is so much going on in the agroecology department at Merry Lea but unfortunately it has been quite some time since anyone has routinely updated this blog. I have recently been hired as an intern in this department to be of aid to Dr. Dale Hess. One of my duties includes updating you on our activities.

So first off, here is a little about me: my name is Amy Hartzell and I am a 2009 graduate of Juniata College located in Pennsylvania. I grew up in western PA (just SW of Pittsburgh) but have spent time living in central PA and also western Washington. But enough about me! Here is what we have been up to here at Merry Lea:

This year's Agroecology Summer Intensive (ASI) began on June 6 with six enthusiastic participants. We are now in week seven of the program and I think that all of the students would agree that it has been a rewarding experience that has taught them quite a bit about sustainably growing their own food. They have finished their first two courses working with vegetable crops and soils, and are beginning courses in agroecology and small farm management.

However, don't be fooled into believing that these students spend most of their days in a classroom! They start each day growing a wide assortment of crops in the Merry Lea gardens and greenhouse at Rieth Village. Through weekly field trips to diverse local farms, the students have witnessed a variety of approaches to sustainably producing revenue for a family by providing healthy food to consumers.

Because our agroecology program continues to grow and develop, we are preparing more land to be farmed. In June, the agroecology field was fenced to keep out the local wildlife. Just last week, the students tilled and planted a portion of that field for the first time. The picture on the right shows Ross transplanting okra into the new field plot. Today, another expansion is under way! The hoophouse that used to stand at the farmstead was installed in its new location to the west of the greenhouse. This allows us to expand our protected growing area and thus lengthen the growing season. The picture below shows the students putting in the posts to support the hoophouse.

The ASI program is designed for students from a variety of backgrounds who have an interest in learning how to grow their own food, on some scale, in the future. This may be in the form of a window box or small garden plot to supplement food for themselves and their families or on a much larger scale of selling produce for a profit. It is so appropriate, then, that the students have had the opportunity to experience this process from start (tilling the new plot) to finish (harvesting and enjoying their own crops)!