“We are not a team because we work together. We are a
team because we respect, trust, and care for each other.”
STAFF
Missy Brashears, Marketplace Crew and Program Lead for Junior Chefs
Missy is a transplant to New England and has lived on both the East and West coasts and in the South. Life up North is very different, but she enjoys the small town life. (Though she does like to enjoy the snow only through a window!) Missy is an artist of all kinds. You name it, she probably has the supplies for it. Her main hobbies include leatherworking, sewing, painting, and crocheting. During the spring and summer, she enjoys foraging and growing mushrooms, and in the fall, she enjoys turning into a pumpkin.
Missy grew up in a small farming community in California where sheep and tomatoes dominated. While she didn't live on a farm herself, her family made sure to support the local farmers at the fairs and markets. As an adult, Missy attended the National Heirloom Festival repeatedly and is a big fan of the farmers who are working to save heirloom and heritage seed varieties. Tomatoes and squash hold a special place in her heart but she doesn't shy away from trying to grow new and weird varieties of any vegetable or fruit.
(Hair color subject to change.)
Dr. Melissa Grella, Founder & Executive Director
melissa@taprootnh.org, (603) 788-4183 ext. 2
Melissa grew up in Jefferson, NH and left upon graduation to explore, grow, and learn. She returned to the North Country to complete her last semester of graduate school with the Audubon Expedition Institute, a traveling program that changed her life and outlook on how we learn and educate; her thesis focused on the level of environmental education in 14 middle schools in Coös County.
Melissa’s passion lies at the intersection of agriculture and environmental education. She loves getting children outside connecting with and learning about nature. She also has a passion for local food systems and connecting others to their food, whether through growing their own garden or supporting local agriculture. Melissa believes that eating local isn’t a side dish – it’s the whole plate.
She envisions a world where local, sustainably grown food and connecting to nature is more than just the occasional pint of blueberries or class field trip. Every school needs a garden; gardening and exploring one’s environment should be embedded into education, not merely to teach skills but to promote well-rounded human development. We must develop a conscientious, empathetic citizenry that eats local year round and that understands and cares about where their food comes from – the miles traveled, the economic and environmental cost, and the people involved along the way.
Melissa earned an MS in Environmental Education from Lesley University/Audubon Expedition Institute and a PhD in Environmental Studies from Antioch University New England. She resides in Lancaster with her beloved husband, Kyle, and their fluffy, gray cat, Grigio.
Jenn McQuade, Bookkeeper
info@taprootnh.org
Jennifer was born and raised in Ohio. After high school, she went to culinary school for baking. Seventeen years later, she decided that she had had enough of that.
In 2014, Jenn went back to school and, after 3 years, earned her Bachlor’s degree in Environmental Science. She did an internship at a wildlife rehabilitation center, working with the orphaned animals brought in by the public.
In late 2019 she moved to Guildhall, Vermont, with her husband and 2 children. They have a menagerie of animals, which includes dogs, cats, chickens, goats, a bearded dragon, and a recent addition: ducks. When there is time between animal chores, Jenn enjoys a good book, jigsaw puzzles crochet projects, painting, or a TV show.
Lancaster Community Garden Coordinator (seasonal March-October)
lcg@taprootnh.org, (603) 788-4183
Mary Jane Pratt, Summer Camp Co-Leader
Bio coming soon!
Kyra Bleicher, Summer Camp Co-Leader
Kyra grew up in western Massachusetts and has a background in Environmental Studies. She has experience working with young people in classroom and community-based educational settings in New England, with a focus on experiential learning. Her interests include hiking, gardening, music making, kayaking, and gentle body work. She looks forward to working again with Taproot summer camp programs, as she did in 2023, supporting young people as they explore, learn, and connect with the outdoors and one another.