Ms. Merry Bell Clark grew up wild during the eighties on a large, diverse, organic farm in Cassopolis, Michigan with parents who were both scientific and artistic. They instilled a reverence for nature and a love of creativity in all its forms. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from the University of Michigan in 1989 and went on to independently produce and direct theater productions in Ann Arbor and Boulder, Colorado. Then, she commenced an acting career in Hollywood, appearing in theater productions as well as commercials. Over the years, Ms. Clark has been a high school English teacher and has worked in the fitness industry. Ms. Clark took care of her mother from 2017 to 2021 while renovating their cabin and farmhouse. As an ovarian cancer survivor and caregiver, she is concerned with addressing women's health issues, as well as environmental issues, which are, indeed, "intertwined." She is also a landscape photographer and has written two other books, "Stripping Down to the Bones" and "Waxing Pathetic." Merrill Ann Clark grew up in Elgin, Illinois and graduated from St. Charles High School, then went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Communications from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. There, she met her husband, John CLARK, and they were married in 1959. They moved to Berkeley, California, where John earned a PhD in bio-chemistry and then they took a road trip to Boston where John had a position waiting for him at MIT. They had their first child in Boston and then John got a job at Notre Dame and they moved to Michigan, living in various locations until starting a 1500 acre organic farm in Cassopolis Michigan in 1980. Merrill was a devoted environmental activist, and always made sure her voice was heard. She was then on the National Organic Standards Board in 1992 which was the first group of people to determine what the term "organic" would really mean. In 2024, she was awarded the prestigious Women in History Award and the Conservation Award by the Daughters of the American Revolution. She was able to be present for the awards ceremony, at the age of 86.
