About Us

Finding Inspiration in Every Turn

Established in 2006 by local farmer and earth-lover Erika Eschholz, Mountain Roots Education was originally named "Full Circle Education." In April 2021 we changed our name to reflect our mission and vision as stewards to our mountain heritage. Through educational gardens and monthly adult workshops for sustainable living, we connect our community to the natural world by practicing techniques passed down and shared with our local mountain community. Our website will offer you information about our programs, as well as ways to get involved through program participation and through monetary donations. We look forward to getting to know you.

Our Story

Since our founding, Mountain Roots Education has been partnering with schools and community partners to accomplish our mission and vision. Our programs are twofold: school gardens, and workshops for sustainable living.

We believe in connecting people to the earth. Connecting people to the roots that come before us. Connecting people to their landscape, and the importance of healthy agriculture practices. We are inspired by our community of farmers, young and old, wise and learning. We love connecting local knowledge with local interest.

The first school garden program we launched was at Teton Science School's (TSS) Mountain Academy in Victor, Idaho. We're now operating school garden programs at Tetonia Elementary, Alta Elementary, Victor Elementary, Driggs Elementary, and Wilson Elementary in the Teton region of Idaho and Wyoming.

Meet the Team

Staff

Hayes Swinney

Executive Director

Hayes fell in love with the Tetons when she was 15, and after working seasonally as an outdoor educator and restoration crew member, eventually moved to Teton Valley in 2002. Then her career in land management and ecological restoration took her to Seattle for 17 years during which time she had a family and grew a myriad of fruits and vegetables in her yard. She is excited to be back in Teton Valley and digging into both the dirt and the community. You can find her biking, hiking, or skiing with her son, husband, and dog when she is not in one of our school gardens or attending one of our workshops.

Taylor Farnum

Lead Garden Educator

Taylor was very excited to join the Mountain Roots Education team in the fall of 2023. Taylor has many years of experience in ecology and habitat restoration with a focus on plants and noxious weeds, and when she is not working with students in a school garden classroom, she's busy serving as Landganics' field manager and noxious weed expert. She also has experience teaching in Teton Valley, loves project-based education and gardening, and enjoys sharing these joys with the students at Victor and Driggs Elementary schools. Taylor moved to Teton Valley in 2013, and can often be found working in her vegetable and fairy gardens, or getting out on a good wildflower hike, mountain bike ride, or river float with her two girls, May and Charley, and husband, Ellis.

Betsy Hawkins

Community Outreach Coordinator

Betsy is a Tennessee native who serendipitously found her way to Teton Valley in 2016. After two decades spent in healthcare and social services, she segued into the non-profit world. She has since worked in a variety of coordination and liaison roles, combining her love of connection and community.

Having spent most of her life growing veggies and a few farm critters, Betsy's passion for gardening and sustainable living naturally aligned her with the Mountain Roots Education vision. When not tending to the "yurtstead," you can probably find her hiking, foraging, skiing, or in the kitchen with her partner and menagerie of pets.

Zander Short

Garden Educator

Zander brings an infectious enthusiasm for nature and culinary exploration to the role of Garden Educator. Her journey began in a town surrounded by agriculture, where she not only developed a love for the earth but also gained an understanding of food systems and their critical importance to our communities.

Zander has worked on farms across the globe, enriching her knowledge of sustainable practices and appreciating diverse cultural approaches to agriculture. Throughout her career, she has embraced outdoor education, guiding students to discover the joy of growing their own food and understanding the processes that bring it to their plates. Zander loves cooking for her loved ones and creating healthy recipes outside in her free time.

Board of Directors

Dana Joslyn

Board Chair

Dana has a love of all things growing: children, plants, organizations and knowledge! Coming from a family of gardeners she loves to plant, tend and create delicious meals from the harvest. In her native Salt Lake City, Dana taught a gardening and nutrition class to 3rd and 4th graders at a school where food scarcity was a common occurrence. Watching their faces light up when growing and tasting plants is an amazing joy and she is excited to continue sharing the joy in Teton Valley.

Peter Poutiatine

Board Secretary

A career in education has convinced Peter of the value of wildness and natural environments for transformative learning. Through stints at several independent schools, the George Lucas Educational Foundation, and most recently the National Outdoor Leadership School, Peter has worked to connect young people with outdoor experiences that germinate a personal relationship with nature. An avid reader, an erstwhile writer, and a life-long fly fisherman, Peter now lives in Tetonia, Idaho, on a postage stamp of land where he and his beloved wife, Leila, dream of someday keeping horses.

Erik Lyngso

Board Member

Coming from Chicago with a culinary background Erik quickly became employed in some of the best kitchens in Jackson. With a passion for being outside, this seemed like a great place to work and also spend time. The first time he came to Teton Valleythere was an instant connection. The proximity to national parks, rivers full of trout, and Grand Targhee drew him in and he never left. Now he lives in Victor full-time with his wife and 2 boys. In his free time, Erik loves to ski, fish, and mountain bike. He is excited to join the Mountain Roots community and share his knowledge of all things food, preparations, and techniques, and to continue to learn and grow himself.

Patty Totaro

Board Treasurer

More info coming soon....

Kate Driscoll

Board Member

More info coming soon....

Become a Board Member!

Joining the board of a nonprofit is a great way to get involved in the community. We are looking for people who want to play an active role in the growth of our organization. If you would be willing to share your time and skills to increase the educational opportunities for students and community members in the Teton Region, please reach out to learn more. One of our past board members, Will Roth, had this to say about his board experience:

As a Mountain Roots Education board member for the last three years, I've seen and participated in the organization's growth and development. As my term ends, I want to take this opportunity to let others know of the rewarding opportunity that joining this board provides. In a recent meeting, my co-board member, Erik Lyngso, said "I didn't know I needed this in my life until I did it." I couldn't agree more. There is a role on the Mountain Roots board for anyone who appreciates the role nature plays in our lives, and has a desire to share that with this amazing community. There is a ton of momentum in this organization, evidenced by a huge expansion in programming and a slew of recent grant awards. Hayes and the board have laid the groundwork for continued success, and I urge you to consider being a part of it!

Our former executive director, Travis Gay, passed away on October 26, 2022, at 46 years old. Travis took on the leadership of Mountain Roots Education while she was still in treatment for colon cancer with a desire to direct her energies, where she often did, into her community. During her short tenure, before cancer took more from her than she could give, Travis forged meaningful and lasting relationships with partners, new and existing donors, volunteers, and supporters of Mountain Roots. She brought her love of plant-based eating and gardening into our education programs for both children and adults. We will continue to honor Travis by building stronger programs for kids and adults in the Teton region, and by growing our offerings to reach more people. Each year, we will give the Travis Gay Community Roots Award to a member of our community who embodies our mission the way that Travis did.