ABOUT US

ABOUT OUR BOARD

Join our Board! Send us a message with your interests

The GFM Board of Directors includes a president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, committee members, and two non-voting members. The GFM board is a working board; members serve on committees to assist with volunteer coordination, education programs, live entertainment, and fundraising. New board members are elected at the annual meeting held in February.

Beth Coop has a masters degree in Agriculture Education (CSU) and has been happily living in Gunnison with her husband, two sons, and dog for nearly a decade. She joined the GFM as a board member in 2009 and has since then taken on the role of market manager. Good quality, local, organic food is central to her survival; her kitchen is well stocked with all sorts of home-canned fruits, pickled vegetables, vegetable ferments, and homemade miso. Beth also loves to teach, she has taught food-related classes for WCU Extended Studies and garden based agricultural education programs for kids. She currently works for Gunnison County Public Health. In her spare time she can be found out in the garden, floating a river, trail running or watching her boys play soccer.

Barbara Frase has a PhD in Ecology, and after splitting her time between Gunnison and the Midwest for more than 40 years, she is now a full time resident. Her training and research in ecology have helped develop an understanding about sustainability in the social as well as biological realm, and her decades in the college classroom have shown how education can change lives. Barb thinks that access to local foods is an integral part of living well; she thinks the Farmer’s Market is a source of wonderful food and an opportunity to encourage sustainable living practices.

Brianna Gilbreath moved to the Gunnison Valley with her husband, Ryon, in February 2021. She is excited to expand her involvement with promoting local farmers and local food. She is a volunteer instructor with Mountain Roots “Cooking Matters” class and enjoys educating the community on how to cook well-balanced meals. She believes focusing on whole foods, fruits, and vegetables is vital for maintaining a healthy body and mind. She enjoys spending her free time with her four dogs and hiking or camping with her husband.

Catherine Vader was born and raised right here in Gunnison and after living in California & Oregon for a few years, she decided there’s no place she’d rather be than our little Colorado community! Catherine grew up on a cattle ranch and her family has owned the local health food store, Gunnison Vitamin & Health, since 1998. Catherine has been involved with farmers markets in the valley for more than a decade as a vendor, board member & market director, so she is very invested in building, strengthening & maintaining our local food systems. Catherine and her husband, Alex, have 2 amazingly rambunctious boys that they are excited to raise here in Gunnison!

Marv Koleis is a retired Cartographer who has lived in Colorado for 35 years and in Gunnison since 2016. He believes that the Gunnison Farmers Market organization is a super important weekly gathering on Gunnison’s summer and fall event calendar that connects local and regional food producers and artisans to our community and visitors. He is happy to serve as a Board of Director’s member. In addition to his association with the Farmers Market He enjoys outdoor sports including skiing, biking, hiking, and

fishing.

Natalie Pax is a current graduate student at Western pursuing both a Master in Environmental Management and a Master of Behavioral Science in Rural Community Health degree. Her undergraduate degree is in Environmental Policy, with a focus on Environmental and Social Justice. She has been passionate about local food system work for many years, and prior to moving to Gunnison in 2023, she had lived in various parts of the Southeastern US. She has worked on a variety of regenerative farms, managed farmers markets, and had roles in farm and education-based non-profits, including Project GROWS in VA and Transplanting Traditions Community Farm in NC. She is excited to become more connected to the Gunnison community and support a local food system through her engagement in the Gunnison Farmers Market.