A Man for All Seasons: The Double Life of Dave Trumble
On a midwinter afternoon, Dave Trumble might be found in his basement, setting out hundreds of tomato seedlings. He might take a break to make lunch for his daughter, or pick up his son at school.

Three nights a week, though, he is a different beast entirely. He drives 17 miles to Saint Anselm College, meets the members of his debate team, and starts tearing down their arguments one by one. It’s a skill he learned as a philosophy major and college debater; honed in law school; and used during his five years as an attorney advocating for the mentally ill.

Trumble’s double life suits him perfectly. During peak farming season, while the debaters are on vacation, he concentrates on growing organic vegetables on his 19-acre farm. "There are a couple of overlap periods in September and March, but the jobs really fit together very well," he says.

Trumble began debating in high school and received a full-tuition debate scholarship to Catholic University. During national competitions, he met Saint Anselm coach John Lynch. He was hired as Lynch’s assistant after graduating—26 years ago.

Such continuity is something Trumble sees in both organic gardening and Benedictine life. "The Benedictine mindset is conducive to organic farming. The crops aren’t quick. You have to build the soil with compost and it’s a slow process. You have to stay in one place."

Trumble is proud of his team members’ successes. He easily names past debaters, and the cases they argued, and he is often in contact with alums. He’s seen ready-made debaters who were "great the minute they walked in the door," and determined contenders who went from 16-round losing streaks to the upper ranks in nationals.

"The college has always strongly supported the debate team," Trumble says. "I think that’s because debate is the perfect
example of a humanities program in progress. Researching a topic, writing about it, and getting up in front of a group and speaking about it—those are the basic skills behind a liberal arts education."

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