Melissa Grella

Melissa Grella is the founder and executive director of Taproot, a Northern New Hampshire nonprofit organization focused on educating, inspiring, and connecting communities to the land, to their food, and to each other. 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 & 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 & 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.