“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.
Sally Livingstone, Bookkeeper
info@taprootnh.org
Sally grew up in central NH and moved to Lancaster about 40 years ago. She has lived in her current home for almost 30 years with her husband Eric. She went to UNH and studied food and nutrition for two years, then continued on and completed her bachelor’s degree in business administration. She has spent most of her adult life growing her own vegetables and enjoys all aspects of cooking nutritious meals from local products. She enjoys gardening, cooking, traveling, quilting, needlepoint, kayaking, hiking and cross-country skiing.
Sam Zuk, Food Access & Community Engagement Coordinator
sam@taprootnh.org, (603) 788-4183 ext. 4
Sam grew up just a stone's throw away in Littleton. She attended Saint Johnsbury Academy and then went on to Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, NY. It was at Sarah Lawrence while she was a dance major where she was exposed to the writings of such luminaries like Jane Jacobs and had the immense privilege of learning under teachers like Kimozi Woodard and Julie Abraham who encouraged her to dig deeper into the oppressions and implications behind public policies and societal prejudices. It was through learning about these radical community activists she became inspired to play her part in opening up the world to be fair and accessible for all and is overjoyed to be joining the Taproot team to further those goals. When she's not in the office or community garden she can be found playing tennis when it's sunny out, knitting when it's not so nice out, and intrepidly trying out new recipes she found online all the times in between.
SUMMER CAMP STAFF
Jordan Garrett, Lead Camp Counselor
Jordan is a science educator, hiker, and sustainability advocate. She grew up in Portsmouth, New Hampshire and moved to the North Country after graduating from UNH with her bachelors in 2020. Jordan is happiest when she is outdoors and most of her favorite memories are from various adventures in wild places. She's collected stories about climate change in the Himalayas, navigated a too friendly bison named Hank in Yellowstone, and more recently completed thru hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, a 2,650 mile trek from Mexico to Canada.
Mary Jane Pratt, Assistant Camp Counselor
Mary Jane is currently studying Sustainability, Ecology, and Policy with an integration of Place-Based Education at The University of Vermont. She has a heart for adventure and exploring the natural world. Specifically, she loves paddle boarding, hiking, birding, and building whimsical fairy houses! And, of course, we can’t forget to mention her deep love for freshly baked bread and deliciously brewed coffee! Living by the motto “don’t let the world change your smile, use your smile to change the world” she strives to inspire others to do the same.