Soule Homestead Education Center is a beloved community resource that is in the 33rd year in operation. This stunning 120 acre property is owned by the Town of Middleborough and our nonprofit organization leases the land in 10 year increments. We are a small but mighty organization of two part-time staff that utilizes the energy of hundreds of volunteer hours per year to impact thousands of people.
The SHEC Team:
Kelly MacDonald Weeks, Phd
Executive Director director@soulehomestead.org
Kelly manages the center and all its day-to-day operations and working parts, from smaller details like minor repairs around the farm, to managing the commercial kitchen, and overseeing and planning the center’s events, programs, and workshops. She also enjoys getting her hands dirty in the soil when she can, working with all the volunteers at the center, and engaging with kids at the farm; teaching young people to use power tools is another favorite farm activity. She has over 25 years experience in working with young kids and teens in varying educational capacities as a tutor, teacher, professor, and more. She and her family have been members at Soule Homestead since 2016; the youngest of her 2 boys attended his first program at just 1 week old. She has been growing things for as long as she can remember and is terrible at willingly killing off extra seedlings. Her favorite thing to grow are scarlet runner beans because they attract hummingbirds and produce beautiful bright purple beans (even if they don’t have a cotyledon that emerge above ground like other beans, which slightly bums her out because above ground cotyledon remind her of fairy wings.) She also enjoys slow crafts of all kinds when she has free time and spending time outside with her boys and husband.
Melanie Fernandes
Education Coordinator educator@soulehomestead.org
Melanie is in charge of education programming at the center, and assists with other parts of what keeps the center running, including repairs, some animal care, programs, workshops and special events. She has 30+ years of experience working in informal conservation/science education to a wide variety of ages, from preschool to the elderly. Having taught classes that include topics like marine biology, birding, animal/plant adaptations, tree/plant ID, she now enjoys the challenge of bringing together conservation of wild spaces/species with agri-ecology in programming. Her favorite plant or animals varies depending on what group you ask about, but some of her favorites include American Beech (favorite deciduous tree), Pink Lady’s Slipper (favorite native orchid), Axolotls (favorite salamander) and the Common Yellowthroat (favorite warbler). She is a “bird nerd,” loves the beach, enjoys baking/cooking, and plans to learn how to braid rugs soon!
2025 Board of Directors at Soule Homestead
Nathan Demers, President
Contact: president@soulehomestead.org
Dave Kraemer, Vice President
Nancy LaFave, Acting Treasurer
Audrey Donahue
Mike Gioscia
Bob Nichols
Bob and his lovely wife Linda moved to Middleboro 45 years ago. He first learned about SHEC when he read it in the local newspaper and thought that banging some nails to help others sounded like great therapy. He and his wife started helping around the farm in 1997. He’s had many adventures in his life working in the banking field, during his service in the US Air Force, as a commercial pilot in the US Virgin Islands, and working for a local construction company for 31 years. We are so appreciative that Bob (and Linda) have spent many of their retirement years lending a hand around SHEC. Bob has a flourishing garden at home that keeps him busy (and out of trouble) and enjoys growing cucumbers and green zebra tomatoes at his garden at home.
