People

Board of Directors

AJ Delgadillo, chair

Community Relations Director, City of Goshen

Owner/operator, Post-Waste Worm Farm

“I am passionate about all the ways justice work can manifest. I am also passionate about the fundamentally human act of getting dirty and tending plants.”

AJ is a resident of Goshen.

Rusty Ritchie, treasurer

Rusty is a retired teacher and president of the Elkhart Dahlia Society along with his wife Anita. When not digging in the garden or tending to his backyard greenhouse, he is keeping busy teaching CPR classes, dancing, or spending time with grand kids.

Alice Maldonado-Zahra

Alice is passionate about social justice and the power of being and working outside. She has had transformative experiences working on a farm in Virginia and connecting to family members who farm. Alice is a South Bend resident.

Lindsey Caterina

Community Wellness Coordinator, Purdue Extension- Elkhart CountyWorks in Elkhart County

“I am passionate about creating equitable food solutions. I believe making the healthy choice, the easy choice for everyone.Bushcraft Farm is rooted in educating everyone on ways to grow your own food and providing fresh healthy local food to the community.”

Dr. Sibonokuhle Ncube

A resident of Goshen, Sibonokuhle loves tending to the earth and is a seminary student in Elkhart. Sibo has an extensive background doing rural and urban development work, often with farmers. She is an advocate for addressing climate change, a gifted speaker and preacher, and currently pursuing a seminary degree as she continues to advocate for climate solutions.

Lloyd Miller

A retired minister, Lloyd lives outside of Goshen and spends lots of time outdoors.

“I love the creative art of gardening, of saving seeds, of germinating seeds for planting, of experiencing the wonder and awe of growth, of sharing knowledge and experiences with others. Bushelcraft Farm has the grassroots vision for accomplishing these values.”

Alex McIntyre

Real Estate Manager, Zimmer Biomet

“I am passionate about connecting people and business to sustainable practices. For finding ways to make a living with the land and avoiding externalizing costs to future generations. And I love to visit restaurants that source from local farms. Bushelcraft Farm has roots and tendrils into all of these areas.”

Alex calls Goshen home and has spent many years in Marshall and St. Joseph Co. as well.

Staff Members:

Jon Zirkle is Bushelcraft Farm’s director, farm manager, and primary educator. He has been with Bushelcraft Farm since its founding in 2020. Previously, Jon worked for Southgate Crossing in 2019 and for six years with Goshen College’s Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center as farm manager and an educator. In 2015 and 2016 he directed the Agroecology Summer Intensive program at Merry Lea. In 2012-2013 Jon worked for Michigan State University Extension in St. Joseph County, conducting educational programs with row crop farmers to improve soil health and encourage cover cropping. Jon has a MS degree in Plant and Soil Science from University of Vermont. Growing up in southern and central Indiana, he’s now been living in Elkhart County for ten years and loves growing food and sharing his passions for education and food access.

Our History

Along with former director Stacey Holland, Jon helped co-found Bushelcraft Farm in January 2020. Jon and Stacey met at an Elkhart County Food Council meeting held inside the barn at Southgate Crossing in 2018 where Stacey cast a vision about utilizing the land nearby. Two years later, Bushelcraft Farm came to be.

What a year to start an educational farm! Still, in 2020, 18 classes were delivered and 36 households participated in our Summer and Fall CSA programs. Right before the pandemic set in, a public gathering held in March 2020 led to greater buy-in from the community. Soon thereafter, an interim board of directors was formed. Former director Stacey Holland stepped down during the pandemic but remains a supporter of Bushelcraft Farm through volunteering. Classes, tours, CSA, and community partnerships continued and will continue. As of January 2022, the organization just received a grant from the Community Foundation of Elkhart County! We are excited to launch an internship program for high school students.

Join us as we continue our work to become a destination and a source for education, outdoor opportunities in the soil, local food, and community building.