Who is Ecolibrium?
Ecolibrium is made up of a diverse team of farmers, chefs, creatives and dreamers. Together we’re nurturing new ideas about community, farms, ecology and food consumption in the Sammamish Valley.
Alex Meizlish
Founder // Farm Director
alex@ecolibriumfarms.com
After university, Alex landed in California, teaching environmental education in the Bay Area and the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas. His burgeoning love of the environment and teaching pushed him to take a closer look at the food system and the impact our eating has on the environment.
He started his first farm - Two Oaks Farm - just outside of Yosemite National Park in 2008. Later he moved to the PNW, pursuing his master's in nutrition and psychology while continuing to develop thoughts around the food system and our cognitive, emotional and physical relationships to food.
From days spent observing the daily cycles of insects and animals, to watching the weather and seeing the impact on the soil and land to the phenology of flora and fauna, Alex's values are deeply tied to ecological and emotional health.
The farm is where nature and culture intersect. He believes eating healthy food, and being a part of its creation, is a natural right and paramount to well-being.
Stefanie Hatlin
Chief of Staff & Stuff
stef@ecolibriumfarms.com
Stefanie Hatlin brings a vast array of business management experience to Ecolibrium. Stefanie brings 10+ years of experience working in the not-for-profit art sector at organizations such as Velocity Dance Center, Seattle International Film Festival, and Chicago Public Radio. In 2014 Stefanie founded, Squid MGMT, a management company focused on producing and promoting many of Seattle's most successful dance and performance companies. She has also worked in the fitness industry as a personal trainer and strength coach for 15+ years.
Her love of food and farming has primarily been founded through her 20 year friendship with Ecolibrium Owner Alex Meizlish, who has been slowly but steadily opening her eyes to the wonders and diversity of the food biosphere. Stef worked alongside Alex for a single season harvest at his first farm, Two Oaks, in CA. She has witnessed the growth and creation of Ecolibrium since day one and is thrilled to bringing her skills for organizational structures and business development to the table.
Alexandra Crouse
Farm Manager
After moving to Seattle from the midwest in August 2021, Alex Crouse joined the Ecolibrium crew. Prior to the move, Alex was farming in central Illinois. She’s been in love with digging in the dirt since childhood and has dedicated 6 seasons of her life so far to farming. During her time in Illinois she did a bit of everything: running deliveries, harvesting produce, avoiding garden spiders, and eventually managing the wash-pack area. She’s enjoyed the shift from farming in what is affectionately called the “corn desert” to farming in the Pacific Northwest. Alex prefers the chatter of birds and insects, and the wind whistling through grass and tree branches, to the noise of the city. Sitting at a desk doesn’t suit her, nor do clean fingernails. In her spare time she enjoys writing, reading true crime books, and trekking through the forest searching for cool mushrooms.
Jeremy Taiwo
Farm Crew
Born in Seattle, Jeremy grew up in Renton in a Nigerian/Colombian household where traditional recipes highlighted the deliciousness of whole foods in our diet. Following his father's footsteps Jeremy went to UW for Track and Field where he learned the Decathlon and studied Latin American studies and Global health. While becoming an All-American, school record holder, Pac 10 champ and brief world record holder, he became very interested in food and its effect on health, performance and recovery. After competing in two world championships and achieving 11th place at the 2016 Olympic Games in the Decathlon in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil Jeremy decided it was time to hang up his shoes, try a new adventure - taking a chance working for Ecolibrium in 2020. Here, Jeremy found his true passion for farming. He is now a fill-time firefighter and gets to the farm as much as possible to be outside, work with the crew and bear witness to the magic of growing food! We are grateful to Jeremy for 3 seasons of inspired work.
Mira Peterson
Farm Crew
Mira grew up on Plum Forest Farm near Seattle and has been spoiled by her access to delicious Organic vegetables since birth. While she studied biology at Colorado College and planned to become a scientist, she quickly learned that she couldn't afford to eat the way she wanted to prompting her to make a career change back to farming. She returned home during the Covid-19 pandemic and has been farming ever since, both at home and in Walla Walla on Hayshaker Farm. She loves food– growing, cooking, and especially eating it! Her other passions include soccer, her espresso machine, and spending time with her 7 housemates. While she has never been to the Olympics, she is confident that she is the most competitive hackysack player on the crew. She is excited to be a part of the Ecolibrium team and is looking forward to the 2023 season :)
Elena Valencia
Farm Crew
Elena was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area and claims to have spent more time of her life outside than in. Growing up she spent her summers swimming in alpine lakes, camping in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and jumping into ocean waves. She attended UC Santa Cruz where she majored in History and Environmental Studies. Her love for the natural world has motivated many of her adventures such as backpacking in the Southern Alps of New Zealand or scuba diving with Bull sharks in the Gulf of California. After the height of Covid-19 she began working as an outdoor ed and backpacking instructor in the Lost Sierra where she taught middle and high school students ecology but most importantly that nature and dirt is fun and safe to be in! Elena recently moved to Washington and is excited to be part of the Ecolibrium crew. This is her first full farming season and is eager to learn everything there is to know about organic farming! When she is not farming you can find her collaging and water coloring some of her favorite photographed landscapes.
Holly
Alpha Dog
Unavailable for comment.