Lesley Eshelman
Advisory Program Director
email: lesley@highspirit.org phone: (413) 717-9874
Lesley graduated from Macalester College with degrees in Sociology and Urban Studies. After spending some years in San Francisco working in social services with unhoused families, she and her husband, Derek, began traveling and learning to farm. They ended up at High Spirit Community Farm on a lark and it was the perfect fit, combining their dual passions of caring for both people and the land. During their ten years living at High Spirit Community Farm they helped it grow from one house with a garden to three homes, a whole bunch of animals, an Agency, a Community Building, and a Day Program. Lesley now works with the Advisory Program, helping others to create communities like High Spirit. While working as a Householder, Lesley loved to cook and to help run the garden program. She could never quite believe her luck in finding a job that required eating meals and spending time outdoors with friends.
“I realized that if I wanted to have a positive impact on the world, that work should start with my family, my neighbors and the land at home. Living and working at High Spirit allowed me to fully invest in those values and to reap the rewards.”
