Growing up in Montana Mariah was surrounded by gorgeous terrain begging to be explored. Her love for snowboarding and recreation brought her attention to how important it is to take care of the natural world to allow for continued enjoyment. Sustainability became her core focus of hers. When in college at Montana State University Mariah studied Sustainable Food Systems. The program was very hands-on and shed light on the many ways agriculture affects our environment and also our communities. After college, she moved to Oregon hoping to start her career in sustainable agriculture. It started at an aquaponics lettuce farm and eventually lead to working with the HDFFA.