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, Outreach & 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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Ellen Mering, Development Associate
Ellen believes food is much more than fuel. Food is a way to pass on traditions, nurture relationships and build community. Ellen has been with Land to Hand since 2023, where she spent a year as a Farm to School VISTA. Today Ellen works as a Development Associate, helping with a wide array of projects, from grant writing to putting on events. Outside of Land to Hand, you will find Ellen and her husband Andrew working on their farm growing produce and raising grass-fed lamb for the farmers market. On the weekends Ellen enjoys crafting, fishing and hiking in the back-country.
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Join Our Team
Open Positions
Development Associate
Land to Hand MT seeks a development professional to join our team. The direct responsibilities will include managing, maintaining, and growing our annual funding plan; overseeing donor stewardship; writing and managing grants; maintaining our donor database; and planning and leading fundraising activities and events. This role has potential for advancement to the management team and includes professional development opportunities.
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 “Development Associate Position” to andrea@landtohandmt.org.
Seasonal Garden Manager
Join the Farm to School (F2S) team at Land to Hand and help teach over 1,800 kids about food and where it comes from! The Garden Manager is responsible for all management of the Wildcat Garden in Columbia Falls. This seasonal position includes education with youth and adults, production of annual and perennial plants, volunteer recruitment and engagement, and physical, outdoor labor. The Garden Manager may often be working in the garden alone. Please see detailed duties and responsibilities as described below.
To Apply: Please review this entire job description, including page 2. We also recommend reviewing our website to learn more about us: landtohandmt.org. Please email a short cover letter and resume with the subject line “Garden Manager” to whitney@landtohandmt.org.