Mary serves as the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Program Manager at CFAC. Mary oversees all aspects of the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Program, including managing the Farm Link Montana site, providing one-on-one technical assistance to beginning farmers, and organizing and leading classes and workshops across the state.
Her work in food systems first began when she helped revitalize student gardens and a compost system on her college campus. This experience motivated her to move West after graduation to work on a small farm in the mountains of Washington. She then spent two years serving with AmeriCorps and FoodCorps managing small high school farms in Oregon and helping farmers sell their produce to local schools, while also working part time on a local organic farm.
Interest in deepening her knowledge of sustainable farming and food systems brought Mary to the University of Montana, where she graduated with her master’s in Environmental Studies. Her master’s research focused on programs that help producers conserve wild spaces and species, while also growing food for their communities. She is excited to bring her 8 years of experience with farming and education to CFAC and looks forward to supporting local farmers through CFAC’s new and established programs.