Meet Our Staff Members
Gretchen Boyer, Executive Director
Gretchen has been with Land to Hand MT since 2004 and was the first paid employee. She is passionate about growing local food, eating good food, and making sure everyone in our community has access to it. Gretchen is a staple in the Whitefish community and loves skiing, rafting, and hiking.
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Whitney Pratt, Education
Whitney has been working in farm to school and agriculture in the Flathead Valley since 2014. Whitney served two terms with FoodCorps and then was the farm manager at Purple Frog Gardens. Before moving to Montana, Whitney WWOOF-ed and worked in community gardens in Vermont, Washington, D.C., France, and Thailand. Whitney also loves spending time with her dog, Harvey.
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Andrea Getts, Communication & Volunteers
Andrea grew up in Columbia Falls and, after graduating from college in Utah, she ran right back to the Flathead Valley. She has been with Land to Hand MT since 2019 when she served 2 years as an AmeriCorps VISTA. If you have a question about social media, marketing, or volunteers, Andrea is the one to contact. On the weekends you’ll find her deep in the back country or knitting.
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Mara Schradle, Food For All
After graduating with a teaching license, Mara worked in a variety of capacities in the education world. Teaching art in a Costa Rican Liceo, gardening and food education in the Bellingham Public Schools, and she also worked in a Communication-Behavior classroom in Portland. When not at work, Mara spends as much time outside as possible. She loves to hike, boat, bike, climb, ski, and eat snacks on top of mountains.
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Emily Hess, Backpack Program
Emily is passionate about local food access and education and has been a part of L2H for the last 3 years as a board member. After graduating college she completed two years of service with AmeriCorps in Boston and Philadelphia, before moving west to teach outdoor education. Emily loves skiing, cooking, and the public lands in this area.
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Caroline Peters, Farm to School Educator
Caroline has always been passionate about community, food, education and sustainability. After graduating college, she began working seasonally in Glacier National Park. In 2023, she joined Land to Hand MT as the Food For All VISTA. Now she works as the Farm to School Educator teaching kids across the valley about the value of our food and its systems. She is happy to call the Flathead Valley home and loves to spend her free time hiking, skiing, or hanging out on the water.
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Cejay Chavez, Administrative Assistant
Cejay spent most of her life in Northern Nevada and recently relocated to Montana with her husband and three children. She has an eclectic career background ranging from Business Management to Co-Op Director and even operated her own Cottage Bakery. As a mom, she is passionate about food being fuel and medicine, and believes that everyone should have access to these tools. In her spare time you can find her dancing in the kitchen with her babies, cosying up with a good book or chasing around her ever growing amount of animals while planning out her dream homestead.
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Silas Smith, AmeriCorps VISTA
Silas is passionate about creating a more equitable, sustainable, and compassionate world, and he is excited to join Land to Hand as an AmeriCorps VISTA to work toward this mission. He envisions a future where everyone has access to local, nutritious food. He has worked as a data editor for the USDA and stayed at an intentional community for a summer, helping plant and harvest on the farm. In his free time, Silas enjoys baking, hiking, puzzling, and exploring new music.
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Rachel Eitniear, Garden Manager
My name is Rachel and I’m originally from the Great Lakes state of Michigan, but moved to the Flathead Valley last year and have been loving it! I’ve been working in agriculture for four years now. I’m passionate about sustainable food systems and have worked on a variety of different farms ranging from Michigan, Hawaii, and Montana. I’m excited to join Land to Hand this summer in the garden!
Carolan Coughlin, Development Associate
Carolan has worked in Flathead Valley non-profits since 2010, and is passionate about serving her community in ways that help bring people together. She served as a Crew Leader with Montana Conservation Corps in the Bob Marshall Wilderness, and other conservation orgs in CO. She now chases around 2 toddlers and enjoys her busy backyard full of chickens and honey bees, and loves wild summertime garden experiments. In her spare time, you can find her in the mountains, in a lake, or on a river, with a book in her back pocket and a smile on her face!
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Open Positions
Join Our Team
Food Access Market Staff
Land to Hand MT seeks a Food Access Market Staff to join our team. If you are interested in this position, but can only commit to Thursdays or Saturdays, but not both, please indicate your availability in your application.
To Apply: Please review this entire job description, including page 2. We also recommend exploring our website to learn more about us: landtohandmt.org. Email a cover letter, resume, and three references with the subject line “Food Access Market Staff” to mara@landtohandmt.org.
Marketing and Communications Associate
Land to Hand MT is seeking a dynamic and passionate Marketing and Communications Associate to join our team.
To Apply: Please review this entire job description, including pages 2 & 3. We also recommend exploring our website to learn more about us: landtohandmt.org. Email a cover letter, resume, and three references with the subject line “Marketing and Communications Associate” to gretchen@landtohandmt.org. Please send in your application materials before April 9, 2025.
Download Marketing and Communications Associate Job Description.