Lydia Beiler
The Amish Whirlwind
Expertise: Queen of the Kitchen; Bed & Breakfast
Lydia brings a superhuman work ethic to the team. She has been cooking breakfasts and managing more-than-you-could-imagine at Verdant View Farm since 1980, and has been a part of the family ever since. Her God-given and personally-cultivated gifts include incredible powers of observation and attentiveness, an easygoing personality, endurance, and a kind sense of humor.
Elisa Fleming
Director of Order and Chaos
Expertise: Herd Manager; Office & Finance Manager; Gardener
Elisa was born and raised on the farm, and after a 13-year hiatus, returned to Verdant View in 2013. She studied sociology at Temple University, lived in Portugal and Brazil, and worked as an event planner and program assistant for an international organization. After basking in the glow of bureaucracy and spending years at a desk in Washington, DC, she gladly swapped her heels for Muck boots. Elisa enjoys the seasonal nature of her farm work, checking things off her to-do list, savoring a freshly-picked tomato out of the garden, and playing with the baby animals.
Patrick Fleming
Director of Research (or lack thereof)
Expertise: Farm Economist; Commander-in-Beef; Staff Comedian
Patrick is not from a farming background. Growing up, his Dad had a vegetable garden that Patrick helped in about twice. He went on to Washington & Lee University, and studied economics and theology at a graduate level; and is now a professor of environmental economics at nearby Franklin & Marshall College. He brings a passion for education to the farm, and loves to talk about agricultural sustainability, the ethics of GMO food, and the joys of a family farm. He enjoys reading Wendell Berry, playing the guitar, and fixing the electric fence (when it is unplugged!).
Scooby
Defender against the Evil Foxes
Expertise: Concierge; Fetcher of Tennis Balls
Scooby is a border collie with a tremendous gift for hospitality. He adds boundless energy to the farm, and is the only one capable of tiring out your children, and every other family’s children, all at the same time. He personally greets every person who steps foot on the farm, and if he barks at your feet it is because he wants you to throw the tennis ball or rock that he just dropped at your feet. If it is a tennis ball, go ahead and throw it. If it is a rock, don’t do it. His doctor (the veterinarian) told him it is bad for his teeth. Scooby just refuses to follow doctor’s orders.
In Memorium:
Ginny Ranck
1946 – 2015
Ginny grew up on a dairy farm in Lancaster County. She loved working with her father and family, and continued his legacy of insisting that the word “tired” didn’t exist in her vocabulary. She began her career as a registered nurse, led public health classes in Brazil, and then worked tirelessly to co-manage Verdant View from 1975-2014. Ginny thoroughly enjoyed serving in leadership positions on the local school board, agricultural associations, and church ministries. Ginny passed away at home on Labor Day, September 7, 2015 following a 2-year journey with brain cancer and preceded by a lifetime of laughter, hospitality, service, travel, and love for others.