What We Believe
We believe food is beautiful and we aim to express this beauty in everything we do at the Merchant's Garden.
Our Mission
Make fresh food accessible and affordable to everyone using the science of aquaponics and hydroponics.
Our Vision
Create revolutionary and sustainable ways to feed the world with local produce.
Our Employees
We believe that service and care for our employees are paramount to the success we achieve as a business.
Chaz Shelton
Founder and CEO
Chaz Shelton, founder and CEO of Merchant’s Garden, has 10 years of healthcare technology experience, including working for the largest electronic medical records company and leading strategy for Xerox’s healthcare division. Chaz also worked as the Program Manager for the Telluride Venture Accelerator (TVA) in Colorado, helping to raise over $4 million in capital for high venture companies in the outdoor, health/wellness, and education industries. Chaz received a B.A. from Hope College in Economics and Management and an MBA from Indiana University.
Bill Shriver
COO
Billy, our COO and co-founder, enjoys his family and loves being a grandparent. He likes attending U of A sporting events, hiking with his wife, and a good game of pickle ball. He is also a big salad eater, too!
Amanda Ortiz
Assistant Project Manager
Amanda is our determined Taurus. She is devoted to serving the community who surrounded her as she grew up. She is a Tucson native, who is always willing to give a helping hand. Amanda was a two sport collegiate athlete. She attended Shaw University with the goal to become a radiologist however during covid she redirected and found a passion for gardening. Amanda has now established sustainable growing behaviors and aspires to share her knowledge/experience with individuals she meets along her journey. If Amanda isn’t at the farm, she’s probably tending to her gardens, or keeping dogs out of them! Amanda is a dog lover, she has 4 furry family members who hold a special place in her heart! Amanda remains very active, from golf to yoga to pickle ball, she is keeping an open mind and finding anyway to move her body and enjoy the outdoors.
Jodi Diaz
Farm Stand Manager & Social Media Specialist
Jodi is our farm stand manager and social media person. She enjoys interacting with our customers and swapping salad dressing recipes and hearing about how much they love Merchant’s Garden. She is an avid hiker, gardener, and baker. Jodi has lived in Arizona for 21 years and was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii. She loves spending time with her family and animals and is a coffee aficionado.