Tyler Eshleman Archives - EMU News

Sustainable Food Initiative partners with Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community farm to grow, harvest vegetables

David Brennan — Fri, 31 Jul 2015 13:48:34 +0000

When Tyler Eshleman took the helm of ��ݮ��’s sputtering student-led (SFI) last year, his goals were modest: to return the weed-choked campus gardens to their former glory. Now Eshleman, backed this summer by six work-study students, not only has the gardens brimming with produce, but has expanded SFI beyond campus borders, sharing the group’s mission with a variety of local schools and organizations, including Eastern Mennonite Elementary School and Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community’s Farm at Willow Run.

SFI, who seeks to expand local sustainability and social responsibility in food production, began in 2010 when a concerned group of students witnessed large amounts of unused cafeteria food being thrown away. This led to a food donation program, a campus composting program, the planting of campus vegetable gardens and even a student-run Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, which sold produce grown on campus to local buyers. However, when this core group of students graduated, SFI was left a ship with no captain, and its programs quickly fell into disarray.

Eshleman’s vision for the group focuses on longevity. “We are a student club,” the rising senior pointed out, “but have started to work towards being more of a coalition of local organizations and persons, to encourage better practices within our food systems, as well as helping groups fully utilize their own spaces to achieve healthier and more sustainable systems.”

Partnering on and off campus

As many as six students work 6-12 hours a week at the farm, helped by community members.

One key to achieving this longevity is partnering with other campus organizations, such as , the and (ESW), to draw interest and forge common connections. Already this summer ESW helped the SFI crew install solar panels on the campus chicken shed to power the heat lamps that burn throughout the winter months.

“One of our visions for the next year is to share a meal made of locally grown food with as many campus groups as we can,” said Eshleman. “What better way to show people what we do, than through the food itself?”

The group also strives to promote EMU’s mission of sustainability outside and . “We want to live the way we talk,” said Malachi Bontrager, an major. “SFI is tangible and easy to access. We can fill a need and do so conscientiously.” Such an ethos demonstrates the group’s commitment to building sustainable local communities through dedicated service.

One of SFI’s key partnerships has been with the Farm at Willow Run. The farm, located on Willow Run Road just minutes from campus, is owned by the Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community (VMRC), and was once the property of former EMU president Myron Augsburger and his wife, Esther. Tom Brenneman, the market garden coordinator at VMRC, has been working with VMRC’s dining services director Tobie Bow on a farm-to-table renaissance with the help of SFI students.

Forging real connections

Produce is delivered to Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community for use in its dining services.

Brenneman, a 1992 graduate with a degree in social work, lives at Willow Run and manages the gardens, in addition to his work with court-involved youth in the 26th District court service unit in Harrisonburg. Despite the enormity of the Willow Run project, which is now delivering produce directly to VMRC kitchens from 1.5 acres of cultivated land, Brenneman laughed when thinking back to its humble beginnings.

“I just had all this extra produce,” he said, which he then passed along to his friend and “co-conspirator” Cal Redekop, who in turn shared the produce gratis with fellow residents in Park Village from a stand at the end of his driveway. The fresh produce has been a huge hit over the past four years. Soon a formal conversation began at the invitation of the executive team of VMRC about how local produce might be brought directly into dining services with sourcing from its own land and resources.

The Farm was quickly identified as a viable location, but who would do the work of growing it? Brenneman rallied volunteer support , some with the local network, which encourages community-building through creative skills-sharing. But the project gained steam when the partnership with SFI was formed. With five to six students working three to four days a week for two to three hours a day, Willow Run is now staffed with a consistent and dedicated workforce.

Mentors help with ag-business skills

“Without the labor from SFI, this really couldn’t have happened,” said Redekop, who often works side by side with the students. “The Farm at Willow Run really provides almost unlimited opportunity to bring different generations together around common concerns, like how we raise our food or how we might show better reverence toward the earth.”

“The farm-to-table initiative makes good sense for VMRC,” said Judith Trumbo, VMRC president and CEO. “As an advocate for aging well, VMRC continues to identify ways to help people live healthier lifestyles. We are pleased to have the support of EMU students to make the farm a success.”

Along the way, the members of SFI have learned valuable lessons, not only about large-scale gardening, but also about how to keep their vision afloat. The opportunity to learn from local farmers such as Radell Schrock, a 2001 graduate who operates in Harrisonburg, has given SFI members a clearer sense of the realities of what they are attempting to accomplish.

“Effectively we’re running a small business,” said SFI treasurer and nursing major Abe Thorn. It’s an experience the group will carry with them long after they have left EMU, and a legacy they hope to leave behind for future generations of students.

Undergraduate students work, share, learn with peacebuilders from around the world at summer institute

Lauren Jefferson — Thu, 23 Jul 2015 20:53:09 +0000

This summer, four ��ݮ�� undergraduate students worked at the , spending six weeks acting as hosts and ambassadors for approximately 145 international visitors.

They were often the first on campus to greet weary travelers arriving from the airport in the wee hours of the night, and they were integral members of the SPI community: interpreting cultural differences during casual conversations in Hillside Lounge, sharing field trips to Valley attractions and meals at the weekly international potluck dinners, and escorting guests to activities like Salsa Night and into downtown Harrisonburg for dinner.

“Our community assistants are a great addition to the SPI community in so many ways,” said director . “They were willing workers and cultural ambassadors, of course, but also representatives to the global peacebuilding community of the socially conscious, thoughtful young people who are attracted to and thrive at EMU.”

Tyler Eshleman: practicing the art of hospitality

Tyler Eshleman

Tyler, a senior major from Harrisonburg, works with the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding’s (STAR) program during the school year. Tyler has taken (STAR) Level 1 training and a graduate course in Transforming Trauma, and plans on earning a . At EMU, he is the student leader of the , which works to promote sustainability and social responsibility in food production and stewardship.

My most memorable experience at SPI is being part of the informal gatherings that people put together: going on a hike or making a meal or putting on a presentation for cultural night. I had a chance to see people from different backgrounds and cultures having a good time together, getting to know each other and teach each other, and breaking down cultural norms in the process.

Being hospitable means something different in every culture, and we had to learn to read people and be attentive to their needs, even when we are exhausted. The people who I meet at bizarre times of the night are often the people who I remained connected with throughout SPI. At first having to do this was kind of a shock and then I realized it was a great opportunity.

The opening ceremonies that started each session were really special. The participants introduced themselves and shared about themselves to the group. I found those moments to be a testament to the recognition of how we’ve shaped this community and how people are willing to share with intimacy and vulnerability.

Winifred Gray-Johnson: inspired by the dedicated work of others

Winifred Gray-Johnson, left, with Rachel Smucker and Bethany Chupp

Winifred is a junior economics major from Liberia. Her father Wilfred Gray-Johnson, executive director of the , first came to SPI several years ago and Winifred eventually found her way to EMU from that family connection (read about ). She had heard stories about SPI from her father but this was her first summer of experiencing it herself. Winifred is president of the .

Participants of SPI are very interested and curious about other cultures and want to share about their own culture. When you’re checking them in, the conversation starts right there. They want to know what EMU is like, what it’s like to be a student at EMU, and when they catch up on my accent, they ask where I was from. It’s not just with me. They will start a conversation with whoever is in the lodging.

To hear the amount of passion and determination is really amazing. So many people come to SPI from war zones or from situations with disasters or refugees in camps, and they have such interest and drive and hope. To see the hope they carry is really good.

It makes me very eager to do something, to work on something. All these people from all these different organizations who are doing such amazing things. There was this one man, , working with young girls in Zimbabwe and one day, I said, “Oh, I envy you, I want to do what you are doing.” There is so much variety. Anybody and everybody can impact change. It gives you that eagerness to help in whatever way you can, not just sit back.

At university, you are modeling yourself to become this person who can help society in the future. SPI has definitely helped me model myself in that kind of way. In this job, we are asked to be accommodating and helpful. I have learned how to work with all kinds of people here, both in my education at EMU, but especially at SPI. It’s one thing to say that I like everybody, but it’s another to really have to practice what you preach. I’ve left a couple of situations where I said to myself, “I didn’t know I had it in me,” or “I handled it well.” I definitely surprised myself sometimes.

Bethany Chupp: transitioning through cultures

Bethany Chupp

Bethany, a junior major with minors in and , is from Canby, Oregon. Bethany spent last year as a community assistant in Residential Life on campus and also worked several summers at a camp on the Oregon seashore: in both positions, she helped to acclimate sometimes disoriented and bewildered newcomers. Bethany plans to pursue a degree in counseling, with the goal of specializing in art therapy with children who have experienced trauma in foster care and adoption.

When people would find that I’m not from Virginia, I would tell them I was from “Oregon, which is by California,” because most people know where California is. And then we had something to talk about right from the start, because with my seven-hour flight [from California to Virginia], we had travelled about the same distance to get to SPI.

I was on my cross-cultural semester to the Middle East in the spring before SPI, so I really hoped that SPI would help with the transition back to the U.S. and to campus. And it did. At SPI, there was first a professor from Palestine and then later a woman from Jerusalem. Talking to them, it was amazing how familiar they felt, even though I didn’t know them personally. The woman from Jerusalem knew the people in the town I stayed in during my cross-cultural. She knew my host family and the places we visited, and that was really helpful.

One thing that struck me was that these people have all accomplished a lot, yet when coming into a new situation, they all have fears … they’re all new here and vulnerable. But they all found ways to relate beyond language and culture, especially I think because they are people striving for the same common goals.

It can be overwhelming to learn about so many issues that need work, but it’s inspiring seeing people working in these areas. Many are coming to the US for the first time, and English isn’t their first language, and they are struggling, but because they’re so passionate about what they’re working for, they’re willing to cross all those spaces to learn skills to help bring peace.

Rebekah York

Rebekah York: SPI community is a source of energy, hope

Rebekah is a senior majoring in peacebuilding and development and with minors in psychology and theater. Raised in Bucharest, Romania, Rebekah worked this summer at SPI and also as an intern with the Washington D.C. office of , a South-Africa human-rights focused development organization.

Being a part of the SPI family was an incredibly life-giving experience. There is something so unique and special about people from all over the world sharing the same space, classrooms, lunch tables and even dorm rooms. It makes me feel at home.

What I always think of when I reflect on SPI are the potluck dinners and the many one-on-one conversations. During these gatherings, people opened up and shared details about their lives. Nothing can take the place of those moments in which we sit together — sometimes in silence, sometimes just as a listener –in which the human heart is open and exposed for a short time.

I was also able to take the class with one of my most admired professors. That is not something every college student gets to experience and it was fascinating to interact with my professor in that environment. We even worked on a project together and presented it in class with another SPI participant.

If you’re looking for a place to rejuvenate your sense of hope in the world, SPI is the place for you. Solving conflict is difficult and it is easy to become cynical and apathetic. You may feel like nothing good is happening today. But during SPI, people with life experience and a true desire to bring lasting change and peace to the world gather together to learn from each other, lighting the fire of hope for a peaceful world in the hearts and minds of everyone.

Common Grounds Coffee Talk Stirs the Pot for EMU

Thu, 25 Sep 2014 21:11:57 +0000

This article was published in the EMU WeatherVane, a student newspaper.

A Nicaraguan coffee farmer and a local roaster teamed up last Thursday to discuss their efforts in supplying Common Grounds coffee in a way that is responsible and fair to the global community. Jamie Miller talked mainly about the challenges of coffee farming in Central America. Troy Lucas (of Lucas Roasting Co.) explained his role as a “conscientious middleman” in the coffee industry.

“There is a lot of money in the coffee industry,” Lucas began. “How can we change that industry so that the money that starts here gets back to the farmers? That’s the question we are trying to answer.”

Backed by a plethora of facts, Lucas and Miller painted a picture of a coffee industry unseen by most consumers, one in which social injustice is commonplace.

Much of the money earned in the lucrative trade remains at the top of the social pyramid. Subsistence farmers in Central and South America receive a very small percentage of the pay-off, earning between $1 and $2 per pound of coffee. Many coffee farmers do not have a large enough income to support themselves, let alone consider environmental issues.

In addition, the increasing lack of predictability in the seasons in Central America has led to widespread problems with coffee cultivation. “The rainy season isn’t the rainy season anymore,” lamented Miller.

“Our coffee is no longer getting the time needed to flower and mature.” Droughts and floods especially hurt farmers, since coffee plants have a maturation period of five years until flowering.

Lucas Roasting’s mission statement is, “to educate coffee consumers on conditions in the world’s coffee growing regions while producing incredible coffee.”

As part of a campus-wide dedication to sustainability, Common Grounds began purchasing coffee from Lucas Roasting Company several years ago.

Thursday marks the first time since that agreement that Lucas has given a presentation to the EMU community.

“I’m here to plant seeds of transformation,” Lucas said. “Educating the consumers in the industry is the first step.”

In this regard, EMU is well on its way to sowing the seeds of knowledge. Lucas and Miller were hosted by three student organizations: Peace Fellowship, EarthKeepers, and the Sustainable Food Initiative (SFI).

Tyler Eshleman, community coordinator of SFI, played an instrumental role in inviting the speakers and organizing the event. Because of his leadership position, Eshleman interacts with many Harrisonburg community members.

In addition, Eshleman’s family has purchased coffee from Lucas Roasting since its inception. When asked about their relationship, Eshleman laughed and said, “Lucas is very concerned about social justice issues. That’s one of the reasons we get along so well.”

In the spirit of Troy Lucas’s mission statement, Eshleman plans to continue cultivating the seeds of sustainability here at EMU through SFI. Eshleman hopes all coffee connoisseurs will join him in this endeavor.

– Harrison Horst, Staff Writer

All-time top U.S. runner, Jim Ryun embraces EMU as annual camp site

Bonnie Price Lofton — Tue, 29 Jul 2014 16:10:02 +0000

One of the all-time top athletes in the United States, mile-record-setter Jim Ryun, has settled into making EMU the site of one of his three annual running camps.

Ryun tried EMU for the first time in the summer of 2013, moving his training camp from Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania. He returned in 2014 and says he’ll be back with his campers in 2015 and, he hopes, for many years to come.

“Today is the day, 48 years ago, that I set the world record for the mile in Berkeley, California,” Ryun told an EMU reporter on July 17. He sounded thoughtful rather than boastful, as he sat on the grass under a tree by the EMU track patiently answering questions that he has probably answered a million times.

It also happened to be the 48th anniversary of the day that somebody named Anne Snider approached Ryun after he had been signing autographs for a long time and asked for one for herself. He politely declined her request but held out the promise to comply in the future, maybe even after he returned to his University of Kansas. He did learn that she happened to be visiting California and was enrolled at arch-rival Kansas State.

Decades of being “we”

Somehow it all worked out. Three years later – a year before Jim graduated from university – Anne and Jim were married and on their way to a lifelong partnership. He uses “we” more often than not in conversation – referring to the two of them becoming born-again Christians in 1972, raising four children (and adoring their 12 grandchildren), entering the political arena when Jim represented Kansas’ 2nd district in Congress, and holding camps for runners (largely high school-aged) since 1973.

“You’ve got to meet Anne – she’ll be along soon,” Jim said as the reporter was putting away her notepad. And Anne came along just then, walking jauntily north toward the outdoor track from their rooms in Cedarwood residence hall, accompanied by one of their sons and his wife, who help direct the camps with mom and dad Ryun.

Anne turned out to be all of 5’3” alongside her 6’3” husband, but the outsized warmth of her personality lent support to her husband’s contention that she was indispensable to his successful runs for Congress, where he was a fervent “small government” Republican in the House of Representatives, 1996-2007.

In 2006, the National Journal named Jim the most conservative member of Congress, an honor that ranks with Jim’s running awards, to judge by his manner of speaking. “I believe in small government, lower taxes, a debt-free nation, a strong military, a strong family, and less Social Security and Medicare,” he emphasizes. He is the chair of the Madison Project, which seeks to enlarge the number of uncompromising conservatives in Congress.

From July 13 to 18, 2014, however, Jim and Anne weren’t focused on politics – they were utterly devoted to the 58 runners under their care in the Jim Ryun Running Camp at EMU, including five from Eastern Mennonite High School, along with their coach, EMU junior Tyler Eshleman.

Christian atmosphere

Eshleman was the Ryuns’ trouble-shooter and general go-to person on behalf of EMU during the camp. “He’s been great,” said Jim. “If I could take him everywhere with us, I’d love it.”

The love was mutual. “My athletes who attended are already spreading the word of the education, encouragement, and spiritual growth they experienced at the camp,” said Eshleman. “They are setting better goals, and showing new enthusiasm for their sport. I can only hope more of my team will take advantage of this marvelous opportunity next summer.”

Jason Lewkowicz, EMU’s cross country and track & field coach, was juggling competing demands on his time during camp week, yet most days he made a point of joining the Ryuns for their worship and learning sessions. “I am grateful for how Jim and Anne integrate faith into their running camp. . .[as well as] their emphasis on using the gift of running to honor God, the giver of that gift!”

In addition to the EMU camp in the Shenandoah Valley, the Ryuns hold one each summer near the beach in San Diego, California, and a third in the mountains of Greeley, Colorado. In 2014, camp fees were $650 for an individual, with discounts for coaches and runners who come as a member of a team. Campers must be at least age 13 to come, but the camp website – ryunrunning.com – says there is no upper age limit.

The website also makes it clear that the camp has a Christian atmosphere. “We believe well-rounded runners are those who are nurtured physically, mentally and spiritually,” says Jim, which is why devotional sessions based on biblical passages are an integral part of the camp.

Another accomplished Olympian, pentathlon athlete Jack Daniels, is always part of the training team at the Ryun camp.

Best H.S. athlete ever

Jim Ryun was one of the most famous and admired athletes of his day – named in 1966 (at age 19) as Sports Illustrated’s “Sportsman of the Year” and as ABC’s Wide World of Sports’ Athlete of the Year, among many other kudos.

He still holds five of the six fastest mile times in U.S. high school history, all under 4 minutes, and “most of them on much slower track surfaces than today’s,” notes ESPN.com. He won the silver medal for the 1500 m at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.

Today, over 40 years after he set them, Ryun still holds the American junior (19 and under) records at 880 yd (1:44.9), 800 m (1:44.3), 1,500 m (3:36.1), and two miles (8:25.1).

Memories of Ryun’s running career, which ended in the mid-1970s, remain strong. In 2007, ESPN.com named him the “best high school athlete ever,” above such well-known figures as Tiger Woods, LeBron James and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

The Jim Ryun Running Camp grew by about 40% between its first and second years at EMU. Ryun says they turn away applicants at the 100 camper mark at each of their three sites, a goal likely to be reached at EMU in the next two years at the rate things are going.

“There is no doubt that the Ryun Running Camp offers a great experience for the campers,” said Lewkowicz, who plans to commit more time to the camp in 2015. “To be able to spend a week with Jim Ryun, Jack Daniels, and the rest of the staff is worth the cost of registration alone. However, they work hard to ensure a great holistic experience for the camp attendees, integrating faith, team building, and fellowship, to the daily running and learning regimen. Any young runner would come out of the Jim Ryun Running Camp experience with a positive outlook on life and running.”

All-time top U.S. runner, Jim Ryun, embraces EMU as the East Coast site for an annual summer camp

Bonnie Price Lofton — Mon, 21 Jul 2014 22:11:17 +0000

One of the all-time top athletes in the United States, mile-record-setter , has settled into making the site of one of his three annual running camps.

Ryun tried EMU for the first time last summer, moving his training camp from in Pennsylvania. He returned this summer and says he’ll be back with his campers in 2015 and, he hopes, for many years to come.

It also happened to be the 48th anniversary of the day that somebody named Anne Snider approached Ryun after he had been signing autographs for a long time and asked for one for herself. He politely declined her request but held out the promise to comply at some future time, maybe even after he returned to his University of Kansas. He did learn that she happened to be visiting California and was enrolled at arch-rival Kansas State.

Lifelong partnership with Anne, close family

“You’ve got to meet Anne – she’ll be along soon,” Jim said as the reporter was putting away her notepad. And Anne came along just then, walking jauntily north toward the outdoor track from their rooms in Cedarwood residence hall, accompanied by one of their sons, 41-year-old Drew, and his wife, who help direct the camps with mom and dad Ryun.

Ryun’s conservatism

In 2006, the named Jim , an honor that ranks with Jim’s running awards, to hear him speak. “I believe in small government, lower taxes, a debt-free nation, a strong military, a strong family, and less Social Security and Medicare.”

Jim’s and Anne’s twin sons, Ned and Drew, share that worldview. Ned started a group called in Northern Virginia to train conservative activists and to lobby for conservative policies. Jim Ryun is chair of a kindred organization, the , which seeks to enlarge the number of uncompromising conservatives in Congress. Drew works in both his brother’s and father’s organizations. In short, conservative politics are where this family puts their energies when they aren’t doing running camps or Jim isn’t giving motivational speeches.

But last week, July 13-18, Jim and Anne were utterly devoted to the 58 runners under their care in the Jim Ryun Running Camp at EMU, including five from , along with their coach, EMU junior Tyler Eshleman.

Eshleman was also the Ryun’s trouble-shooter and general go-to person on behalf of EMU during the camp. “He’s been great,” said Jim. “If I could take him everywhere with us, I’d love it.”

Immediate results seen

, EMU’s cross country and track & field coach, was juggling competing demands on his time last week, yet he made a point of joining the Ryuns for their worship and learning sessions most of the week. “I am grateful for how Jim and Anne integrate faith into their running camp. . .[as well as] their emphasis on using the gift of running to honor God, the giver of that gift!”

In addition to the EMU camp in the Shenandoah Valley, the Ryuns hold one each summer near the beach in San Diego, California, and a third in the mountains of Greeley, Colorado, totaling up to 250 campers. In 2014, camp fees were $650 for an individual, with discounted fees for coaches and runners who come as a member of a team. Campers must be at least age 13 to come, but the camp website – – states that there is no upper age limit.

Stand-out athleticism

Another accomplished Olympian, pentathlon athlete , is always part of the training team at the Ryun camp. (Click for a Runner’s World article on his coaching.)

Jim Ryun was one of the most famous and admired athletes of his day – named in 1966 (at age 19) as Sports Illustrated’s and as , among many other kudos.

He still holds five of the six fastest mile times in U.S. high school history, all under 4 minutes, and “most of them on much slower track surfaces than today’s,” . He won the silver medal for the 1500 m at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.

Today, over 40 years after he set them, Ryun still holds the American junior (19 and under) records at 880 yd (1:44.9), 800 m (1:44.3), 1,500 m (3:36.1), and two miles (8:25.1).

Memories of Ryun’s running career, which ended in the mid 1970s, remain strong. In 2007, above such well-known figures as Tiger Woods, LeBron James and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Growth expected at EMU site

The Jim Ryun Running Camp grew by about 40 percent between its first and second years at EMU. Ryun says they turn away applicants at the 100 camper mark at each of their three sites, a goal likely to be reached at EMU in the next two years at the rate things are going.