From the farm to one of Gulfshore Life’s women of the year

For 25 years, Gulfshore Life has put forth a handful of people each year, recognizing them as Men and Women of the Year. Dr. Alise Bartley is one of those being honored for her efforts to help our community grow and heal.

Enjoying life on a farm is where Bartley finds herself today. She and her husband moved from Ohio to Southwest Florida seven years ago. They now own a large plot of land off U.S. 41 in South Fort Myers, which they are shaping into a model of sustainable farming.

“We’re not changing– negatively changing the environment,” Bartley explains. “We don’t use fertilizers. We use a closed system that focuses on tilapia that produce ammonia, which we turn into nitrates, which then we use to feed produce.”

The farm has its own system that is not harmful to the environment. They raise fish to nourish crops and raise chickens for fresh eggs.

Bartley has a passion for health. One that goes beyond the body. She’s been a mental health counselor for over 30 years.

“I’ve been in academia. I’ve done research, and I knew that this, our mental health situation, has always been very fragile,” she said.

To better serve others, Bartley founded the non-profit Counseling for Community Wellness program.

“We just don’t have enough mental health providers in our community. That’s the first problem,” Bartley said. “The second is even with the mental health providers that we have, they’re overworked, and people don’t know how to get accessibility to those mental health providers, so this is a way that we’re breaking down the barriers.”

The program addresses the acute need for mental health services by bringing together counselors and grad students who offer free services to people in need. She and her husband also donated one million dollars to FGCU to establish a counseling center on campus.

Now, a great deal of her time is spent rebuilding the family farm following Hurricane Ian. Bartley hopes to grow into a place where people will gather and flourish. “We’re actually in the process of going through permitting to be able to build an education event center, so we’re hoping next year at this time, we’ll have a place where people can come learn about sustainable farming and celebrate life’s great experiences.”

For her, devotion to strengthening our community– body and mind– Alise Bartley is being recognized as one of Gulfshore Life magazine’s Women of the Year.