Merck Forest & Farmland Center

Meet Hadley Stock, Farm Manager

What interested you about joining Merck Forest’s team?

As a native to the area, Merck Forest has always been a part of my life. As a child, my family would ski up to pick out and cut down our Christmas tree, come for sleigh rides in the winter and wagon rides in the warm months, hike and camp and I remember being giddy with excitement to come see the lambs every spring. When I got older, I would bring children I babysat for and friends from college and my other adventures away from Southern VT to experience these same joys; then later my husband and then our children. When the opportunity to join the team at Merck Forest came up, I jumped at the chance to be in a position to help foster similar wonder and memories in a new generation of visitors.

I’m excited to be working with a group of people who value this landscape as much as I do, and who believe deeply in MFFC’s core mission to inspire the same love, appreciation, and wonder that I have for the place in all who come visit. To work in a place that my heart has held onto for so many years feels very fitting - my love for this land and this farm in particular has been an inspirational force in my life.

What do I love most about Merck Forest?

The seasons - there is always something to be getting ready for, planning for, organizing for - it’s never dull or predictable. I like that I always have to be thinking on my feet - it keeps life exciting - and allows me to learn constantly, which keeps my mind sharp and always rolling.

The beauty - no corner office could ever compete with the beauty of this workplace, I am still - after a lifetime of being in it - just blown away by the absolutely stunning beauty of this place. It makes coming to work every day a joy, not a task. Being in a position to contribute to the beauty of these working lands is an honor and a privilege I don’t take lightly.

Lots of coffee with maple syrup - the importance of knowing what I’m eating and feeding my family is a real driving force for me. What better way to know what you are consuming than to be the producer - whether produce from the garden, eggs from the henhouse, meat from the fields or maple from the trees - I find a real sense of pride and comfort in producing food that my family eats. It gets exciting to be able to share my skills and insights from my many years of farming in Vermont with others who want to learn about where their food comes from and how it is produced.

What shaped my love of working lands?

My life as a Vermonter and the privilege to call this amazing place home. I grew up playing in the woods, swimming and fishing in the Mettowee and Battenkill rivers and visiting farms like Merck Forest. This landscape is imprinted on me. When I had children the importance of feeding my family food that I know the origin and producer became crucial. It started with raising chickens and making our own maple syrup and I’ve never looked back.