Meet Holly Conn | Mountain Roots

We had the good fortune of connecting with Holly Conn and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Holly, how does your business help the community?
Mountain Roots helps the world by advancing social, economic, environmental, individual, and community health through all things food. We believe that equitable access to fresh, nutritious food is not only a human right, but also an integral solution to many of the world’s problems such as climate change, soil health, water conservation, hunger and food security, and public health. In our own way, we are breaking down some deeply ingrained systemic inequities and replacing them with community-based solutions that not only work, but feel good. By teaching and promoting regenerative agriculture, implementing those practices into our farms and community gardens, and growing and distributing food with minimal carbon footprint in an equitable way, we are charting the course for other communities to use regenerative agriculture as a proactive solution to build communities that thrive in all ways.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Nonprofit leadership is never easy. I welcome the challenge because I am constantly learning new things and stretching beyond what I previously thought was possible. Mountain Roots has a great culture of learning. We say that we embrace “experiential learning” at every level from board leadership to my role as executive director to staff positions to volunteers. I tell every person that joins Mountain Roots that we each have something to teach others, and we each have something to learn from others. It’s our job is to find out what that is.

One thing that might set us apart is the way I set up Mountain Roots as an organization. The structure is heavily influenced by permaculture design, which applies a “systems thinking” perspective, and by Holistic Land Management theory. Both of these have influenced the organizational design. Several years ago, a mentor suggested that we adopt an emerging trend he was seeing in nonprofits to balance revenue streams with an emphasis on earned income. We have done this and it’s been transformational. The grants and donations we receive have steadily increased alongside our earned income streams, and as a result our programming and “place in the world” is far more stable. That stability allows us to spend more time in “creative mode” and where we’re designing and implementing new programs that meet community needs, building efficiencies into programs that already work well, and most of all, into building authentic relationships.

Other key elements that have brought us to where we are today are: collaboration and partnerships, listening to community needs and amplifying community voices, developing authentic relationships within our community that break down barriers, and not being afraid to challenge the status quo.

The pandemic was a real turning point for the organization. With our educational programming on hold, we pivoted all of our programs to focus on food security and hunger relief. We received grant funding that enabled us to pay local restaurants to repurpose their kitchens to make family meals that we distributed to anyone in our community who said they needed it. We purchased and distributed thousands of pounds of organic produce at community “free markets” weekly throughout the shutdowns, and bulked up our hunger relief program to the robust service that it is today. The agility and quick-thinking that the team demonstrated during that time has augmented our services and our ability to attract grant funding.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
The Gunnison Valley is surrounded by gorgeous public lands, wild spaces and majestic peaks. For an epic week in the Gunnison Valley, every day is spent on a different outdoor adventure. Of course, if it’s winter, we’d be skiing every day – alternating between alpine, nordic, and backcountry. Then we would visit the Dogwood Cocktail Cabin or Montanya’s Distillery for artisan cocktails. Summer and fall are glorious too. One day, we’d pack some organic produce and snacks from Wilder’s Organic Market on North Main Street in Gunnison and head out for an all-day hike. In the evening, we’d get tapas and cocktails at 1880, also on Gunnison’s Main Street. Another day, we might ride some of Crested Butte’s world famous singletrack, and a third day we’d seek out a river or lake to enjoy fly fishing or a paddleboard float, or play in the waves at Gunnison’s whitewater park. The farmers markets (Saturdays in Gunnison and Sundays in Crested Butte) are always fun. In the evenings, we might catch live music in the Crested Butte town park or a concert at the IBar Ranch, stroll the shops on Elk Avenue, and seek out delicious meals at iconic spots like The Secret Stash for Pizza, Sunflower Cafe (famous for local food), or The Breadery. Since we love to cook, we’d plan a couple of evenings to eat in as well. There’s nothing quite like grilling out on your own deck and watching the alpenglow paint the mountain and sky with golds and pinks.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Mountain Roots was founded by a group of trailblazers who believe in the power of fresh food and the ways it connects us to the world around us. I was a part of that group, and each one of us brought elements of our own passion and vision for local food to the vision that is now Mountain Roots. We’re a grassroots organization, and the momentum that we’ve gained over the years is powered by hundreds of passionate volunteers – including leaders who have served on the Board of Directors over the years – who bring their time, energy, and dedication to the project. We attract an incredible staff too. These are amazing humans who all want to make a difference and, at least for this chapter of their lives, have chosen Mountain Roots as their platform for change-making. I’m happy to know them and proud to work alongside them.

Website: https://www.mountainrootsfoodproject.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mountainroots_foodproject/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mountainrootsfoodproject