PELLSTON, Mich. — After Ruby Howard graduated from the University of Michigan this spring with a bachelor’s degree in social theory and practice, she drove up north to the University of Michigan Biological Station to serve as the garden steward and a member of the kitchen staff for the 2025 field season.
“I've spent the last four years studying food justice at UofM and participating in the U-M sustainable food program, which has been absolutely wonderful, but the problem with studying food justice in a classroom is that I often felt so far from the dirt, the plants, the community and processes that I feel truly passionate about,” Howard said. “I heard about this job through a friend and thought it would be the perfect opportunity to get my hands in the dirt and put theory into practice.”
Taking what she learned in the classroom and at Campus Farms in Ann Arbor, Howard lives and works at the U-M Biological Station — the largest of U-M's campuses and one of the nation's largest and longest continuously operating field research stations.
Founded in 1909, the Pellston campus supports long-term research and education. Located about 20 miles south of the Mackinac Bridge on more than 10,000 forested acres surrounded by lakes and rivers, UMBS is where students and scientists from across the globe live and work as a community to learn from the place.
Through the summer, Howard is inspiring students, researchers and staff at the U-M Biological Station to get connected to the food they eat and the people that grow plants.
The UMBS campus community is invited to volunteer in the community garden on Tuesdays at 6 p.m. and Sundays at 10 a.m. Howard will provide music and lemonade while volunteers get their hands dirty and help cultivate food and community.
In honor of the launch of the 2025 garden volunteer opportunities for UMBS residents, we’re proud to introduce this season’s garden steward. Read our Q&A with Ruby Howard.
Q. Are you a UMBS alum?
I'm not actually. It's my first time here! Though I have many friends that have taken classes here and have told me all about UMBS.
Q: As the 2025 UMBS garden steward, you have an incredible work ethic and positive attitude. What do you do in your role and why do you believe it’s important?
The main charge of the position is, of course, to grow food. But more than that, I think my main goal in the position is to engage everyone I can at UMBS in the process of cultivating food and community, and hopefully make people feel connected to the food that they eat and the people that grow it. I also work in the dining hall, so I get to be part of the entire process of making food happen, from the dirt to the plate, which is pretty awesome.
Q: What is the most meaningful experience as part of your role at UMBS this field season? What makes it stand out?
I think the most meaningful experience is and will continue to be the connections and creativity that thrive in a place like a garden. I can't possibly do all of this work alone (well, I could, but it would probably destroy my joints and take 3x as long), and the fact that people have already been so willing to engage with me and the garden has been so heartwarming! I have also had to learn a lot of new skills in a very short amount of time, and every day there is a new challenge to overcome, which is teaching me a lot about the importance of failing forward and trusting my instincts.
Q: What is your favorite plant and why?
I love Lambs Quarters (chenopodium album) because of how tasty and nutritious it is! It is a common garden weed, and that's what I think actually makes it special. To be able to recognize something that grows freely in the garden--and that others might pull out without a second thought--for what it truly is feels like an incredible little secret. I hope more pops up in the garden and I can get people to eat it.
Q: What are your goals for the community garden and how can the UMBS community help?
I hope to grow as much yummy food as quickly as possible for all of the UMBS students and staff to enjoy before they have to ship out! A lot of prep work goes into making this happen, like weeding, tilling, and garden maintenance. The most helpful thing anyone could do besides stop by the garden to keep me company every once in a while is to come to workdays! I promise I'm friendly and I love to talk. Stop by any time.
Q: You not only have a green thumb, you’re an incredible artist as well. Tell us about your art and what inspires you to treat us to your incredible creations on the whiteboards throughout campus?
First of all, thank you! Second of all, I thought it would be a nice thing for people to see when they first arrived to the station. Nature is often the thing that inspires me most in my art, and I love white boards as a drawing medium because you can erase so easily and it becomes more like carving out an image than just drawing one. I also got here really early in the season and didn't have much else to do after lunch. I hope to update the drawings with the season, so keep an eye out!
Q: Talk to us about your career aspirations. You graduated at the beginning of May from U-M. What’s next and where do you hope to be in 10 years?
Whew. We'll see! I'll be in Ypsilanti this fall hopefully working full time in local food justice. I also plan to keep working at Café Liv (come say hi) and to keep making music with friends. In 10 years, I hope to still be doing most of these things, working with my hands, with people, with plants, and not staring at a computer screen for more than 1 hour a day.
Q: What is your favorite thing to do at UMBS?
Following people around and learning from and about them. Seriously I love all of the highly specific knowledge and fun facts, please come and tell me all about your research or something cool you learned in class.
The University of Michigan Biological Station serves as a gathering place to learn from the natural world, advance research and education, and inspire action. We leverage over a century of research and transformative experiences to drive discoveries and solutions to benefit Michigan and beyond.
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