Spotlights
Meet Michael Hinkle, Farm Manager and Educator in the Office of Sustainability Practices
April 27, 2022
Our GVSU Farm Manager Michael Hinkle is a perfect example of what it looks like to pursue your passion and make it a career. Before coming to GVSU, Michael had worked for a traditional farm, handling all aspects of farming from starting seeds all the way through the harvest. However, he was troubled by the fact that most traditional farmers were not able to successfully make a living wage without government subsidies, once costs of operation were factored in. While he initially started his education at GVSU majoring in biochemistry, he took the introductory course for Natural Resources Management and enjoyed it so much that he switched his major. When he began to study regenerative and sustainable agriculture, he realized that this was exactly the career he had been seeking. He was able to work outside, and farm using sustainable methods that were better for our environment and didn’t require large amounts of land and resources in order to make a good living.
Michael began to volunteer at the Sustainable Agriculture Project (SAP) here at GVSU during his academic career, and found a community of students, staff, and faculty who truly held a passion for farming in a sustainable way. He began to volunteer every Friday, which eventually led to an internship at the SAP for the 2018-2019 season. After he graduated, he was hired as the Farm Manager and Educator for the Office of Sustainability Practices in 2021.
Michael’s experience of being both a student and a staff member informs the way he approaches his role at GVSU. He enjoys guiding the students and helping them to understand the realities of what sustainable agriculture entails. Transparency is key to him, as it is important for anyone considering a career in sustainable agriculture to have realistic expectations and a full picture of the reality of farm life. Some students enter the program with an idealized notion of barefoot walks through sunflower fields, and he helps them to learn that the rewards in sustainable agriculture come as a result of hard work and diligence in tending to the various aspects of sustainable agriculture. They must properly maintain and balance the soil, know how to interplant to maximize the crop output for the limited space, and know what kind of equipment can and cannot realistically be used according to the soil type you are working with. They must know how to maintain and fertilize healthy plants in a sustainable way and manage issues such as pests and diseases.
In his spare time, Michael has a variety of interests. He maintains his own home garden that he enjoys tending to. He also loves to climb. He does indoor bouldering, and is currently climbing V6 level walls, which are high-level intermediate difficulty. He will be traveling to Marquette this summer and plans to look for outdoor climbing opportunities. He also enjoys photography, a hobby he ties in to his work on the farm. He loves to take shots on his film camera of the farm, and use them on the various social media platforms and website for the SAP, to curate a true photo aesthetic to highlight the natural beauty of the farm.
Michael finds the most rewarding part of his job to be his work with the students. He loves to watch them connect with the land, and embrace the hard work that goes into creating food. He says it can be easy to feel disheartened when observing the large farm industry practices which are so corn-heavy and can lead to nutritionally stripped produce as the soil is worked beyond its capacity to provide adequate nutrition to the plants. But he remains optimistic as he works with the students at GVSU, and encourages them to remember that there are more people trying to make it better than there are trying to make it worse. A regular part of the education he provides to them is to compare the differences between local traditional farm soil versus the soil at the SAP farm. He has the students feel the difference in the soil. Where the traditional farm soil is stiff, full of clay, and a dull brown, the soil on the SAP farm remains rich, dark, loose, full of organic matter, and ready to work for each planting season due to their care and sustainability practices.
The SAP works with student workers to manage the farm. The GVSU community support is also crucial to their operations. In order to help fund the SAP, they sell farm shares and community garden spaces. There are 18 community garden plots at the Luce Street Farm that are open to students, faculty and staff. Plots are run autonomously by the plot renters for $25 per plot, or $40 for two plots. The SAP provides soil and compost for each community garden plot. This provides an opportunity for those on campus who want to grow their own produce to have a cost-effective way to do so, and support the SAP at the same time. The farm shares are another way the GVSU community can support the SAP. During the farm season, purchasing a farm share means you will receive a box of fresh organic produce grown at the SAP farm, which you can either pick up at the farm stand or the SAP farm weekly, or have delivered to you for a $5 delivery fee. You can purchase a mini share for $75 (the first 4 weeks of the growing season, May 18th through June 8th for the 2022 season) or a full share for $150 (6 weeks), and select your session (the 6 week sessions range from June 15th through October 12th). You can buy multiple shares as well. Buying shares early helps the SAP to fund their startup operations which typically begin in February for seeding, and March for planting. This year, their crops will include tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, cucumbers, melons, summer squash, zucchini, lettuce, kale, spinach, swiss chard, radishes, turnips, and beets. You will always get more than you pay for, and you support an amazing cause at the same time.
In addition to the farm shares, the SAP provides produce to campus dining, and also sells their produce at the GVSU Farmer’s Market. The SAP farm stand will be open weekly on Wednesdays. They will be located at the Cook Carillon Clock Tower, with one Wednesday per month being a full GVSU Farmers Market with other vendors, located in Lot G. The first full farmer’s market of the season will kick off on June 8th with the second annual Faculty & Staff 2 Mile Fun Run/Walk with GVPD. They hope to bring a renewed sense of community to the campus, after the past two years of unusual circumstances limiting their ability to have in-person events like the Farmer’s Market. The SAP always welcomes volunteers from the community, and anyone can come volunteer at the farm on Fridays beginning at noon. Feel free to come join Michael and his crew to see firsthand all of the amazing work being done at the GVSU farm and experience sustainable agriculture for yourself!