Ruth Knapp - Volunteer of the Year Award -

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2024 Volunteer of the Year: Jeff Stevens

The 2024 Volunteer of the Year at Soule Homestead Education Center is awarded to Board member Jeff Stevens. The Board of Directors wants to recognize the long-time effort and years of service (which we hope will continue!) to the farm and the surrounding areas.

Jeff is a longtime Middleborough resident. Many of you may know him as a Middleborough teacher and/or principal, roles he served in for over 36 years in the town’s schools. I first came across him when he volunteered as Old St. Nick at many town Christmas events and as a jolly conductor at Edaville Theme Park. Jeff is a true lover of history. We have shared with each other many historical tidbits we have learned about Soule and other important prominent figures in the area. He uses these skills at Soule to give history talks, as well as in the work he does with the Friends of Middleborough Cemeteries. Jeff was even the Honorary Mayor of Middleborough in 2020.

Jeff has been selected as this year’s Volunteer of the Year for his dedication to Soule Homestead Education Center where he has served on the Board at Soule Homestead as a member and Executive Officer, including President, over the last 14 years.

Jeff is someone who is always willing to lend a hand. He has worked at our Admissions tables for countless events, greeting attendees and telling them all the wonderful things about Soule. He has baked numerous batches of his famous (or infamous) Illegal Bars – the cookie bar “that taste so good they should be illegal.” He has helped with educational programming, helped children make crafts, parked cars, helped to set up but also take down events big and small, cleaned things, moved things, done so many different tasks around the farm, and always with a warm smile. Jeff often arrives at the perfect time at event set up offering to jump in and help to lend a hand. He is enthusiastic, helpful, most importantly kind, and he is well loved here and throughout Middleborough. We feel so lucky to have Jeff as a member of not only our Board of Directors, but also as a community member at Soule.

— Kelly MacDonald Weeks, Executive Director

2023 Volunteer of the Year: Bertha Terhune

Bertha Terhune was selected as this year’s Volunteer of the Year at Soule Homestead for her dedicated service from 2006 – 2023. The Board of Directors wanted to recognize the long-time efforts and years of service to the farm and our community at Soule and the surrounding areas. Thank you too to her family; the Easterbrooks and Pratts, who often could be seen volunteering at the farm alongside her.

Miss Bertha, Bertha, or Bert, everyone had their own variation around the farm, started volunteering her skills by joining the Board of Directors as Treasurer in 2006, only a few short years after she retired as a vice president of Bank of America in 2003. This was a position she held until her passing in May of this year.

Some of my favorite things to find around the farm are random photos of Bertha. There are photos of her jumping in puddles with children, lending a hand at a workshop, or even helping to dig out massive holes for propane tanks at the farm. Bertha was at Soule to help no matter how big or small the job was, to chat with a friend in the office, or to step out and say hello to anyone who came by the farm. She made deep and lasting connections even with strangers she’d never met face to face. They would call, chat, and check in every few months to see how things were going around the farm.

As a member of the farm for the last 7 years I met and interacted with Bertha at many events – mostly those focused on children. Bertha loved all our little ones at the farm. I got to know her better in the last year after her great-granddaughter Elizabeth and my youngest became fast friends during a Farm Buddies program. We would come to spend time with Miss Bertha and Elizabeth during “Memaw” days at the farm exploring, playing, and learning about nature. Miss Bertha taught my youngest about deer moss (lichen) and even now, every time he sees it, he points it out and tells me she taught him its name. Bertha made so many connections like these with visitors young and old(er) at the farm. If she found a cool bug? She would save it for the bug lovers! (I have photos of my kids holding a disturbingly large centipede she saved to show them.) A beautiful nest? That was brought out for the bird lovers big and small. She was always thinking of others and how to make connections with them.

We miss Bertha around the farm but think of her often. We truly appreciate her dedication to the farm for the last 17 years. She is well deserving of the award. I know there are many others who have been at Soule from its beginning who could write a book with stories about Bertha and what she meant to them. If you would like to, share a story or memory of her below.

— Kelly MacDonald Weeks, Executive Director

Pictured in the photo are Granddaughter Leah and Great-Granddaughter Elizabeth accepting the award for the family.

2021 Volunteer of the Year: Teddy Riley

With 2021 coming to a close, we’d like to give a huge THANK YOU to our Volunteer of the Year Teddy Riley! We can almost guarantee that no one has cut more grass at Soule… ever!! He had great helpers (Anna and Mary), and occasionally a woman named “Meg” as well. Thank you Teddy for all of your hard work and dedication to Soule!

2020 Volunteer of the Year: Middleboro Rotary Club

And the Volunteer of the year award goes to… The Middleboro Rotary Club! We were so honored to award this recognition to a fantastic group in our community. This year was very different and many of our volunteers couldn’t help at the farm in the ways that they have been in past years. The Middleboro Rotary stepped up and very generously awarded Soule with $1,000 in grant funds but more importantly they showed up on multiple occasions with masks on, ready to work. The Middleboro Rotary has been so supportive of Soule over a span of many years and they have been a beacon of light in a tough year. Kevin Quackenbush, Rotary president is a joy to work with and is always happy to talk to anyone about joining this fantastic group. Thank you Rotarians!

– Meg Riley, Executive Director

2019 Volunteer of the Year: The Baldwin Family

Congratulations to the Baldwin family for receiving the recognition of Volunteer of the year at our Annual Meeting on Thursday night. Eric’s Eagle Scout project will be a spot that visitors to Soule Homestead will be able to enjoy for many years to come. This was a multi-year volunteer effort that was done in part by the entire family and we are grateful! Thank you to everyone that joined us for pie, ice cream and community!

– Meg Riley, Executive Director

2018 Volunteer of the Year: Barbara Chadwick

Thanks to everyone that joined us last night for our annual meeting. It was wonderful to spend time with you all and reflect on the accomplishments of 2018. A huge congratulations to our volunteer of the year, Barbara Chadwick. She is a talented fiber artist that has been a long time volunteer here at Soule. She is the leader of our spinning guild and the instructor for our rug hooking class. Thank you to Barbara and our many other volunteers that help in ways big and small to make Soule a true community farm!

– Meg Riley, Executive Director

2014 Volunteer of the Year: Mary Ann Cunningham

We do so appreciate the volunteers who make this place run! Mary Ann Cunningham received our Ruth Knapp Volunteer Award! She donates so much time here with keeping the Soule flower gardens weeded, watered, and well stocked! Not to mention all the plants she donates to our Sheep Day plant sale! She also helps in the educational programs not only teaching but she delights the children with her live specimens of snakes and spiders and – well you get the idea! Additionally, Mary Ann runs our very well attended wreath making workshop at our Holiday Fair- you’ve signed up already right?? And if you are here on Thursday she brings in great homemade goodies to spoil the office staff 🙂 What else can we say but THANK YOU MARY ANN!