Mel Hochstetler (she/her)

Melissa Hochstetler discovered her passion for small-scale, sustainable agriculture while on the Gould Farm Residential Team in the 1990s. She left Gould Farm to pursue her small-farm dream, and returned after 20 years in Minnesota to manage the gardens here. Mel believes that growing and eating healthy food, with hands in the soil, is good for body, mind, and soul. She is thrilled to be back in this community, where all are encouraged to take risks and support each other. She and her husband Travis enjoy participating in all aspects of the community, from meals and activities to introducing pickleball to the Gould Farm community and teaching people to play. Mel loves being in a place where the many veggies that the garden team grows are primarily used by the kitchen, to feed the community and the garden team, who worked so hard to grow the food. She is thrilled to be back in a place where the sky is dark enough to see the stars.