Rita Mary Hennigan
She/her/ella
Co Director
Rita@Uprootcolorado.org
Rita directs UpRoot’s work along the Western Slope, where she has spent most of her time since 2016. She is passionate about helping to create a more just food system that contributes to the health of both people and the environment. Her deep appreciation for farmers and food stems in part from her experiences working on farms in both urban and rural areas. She has also worked as an AmeriCorps VISTA and in other capacities for nonprofit organizations aiming to increase equity in food access. Rita holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Wellesley College and a Sustainability Certificate from Babson, Olin, and Wellesley Colleges. Rita was a 2023 Rocky Mountain Farmers Union (RMFU) Fellow. In her free time, Rita enjoys hiking in the magnificent mountains around her, reading, spending time with as many dogs as she can, and delighting in cooking, eating, and all things food.
David Laskarzewski
He/him/él
Co director
dave@uprootcolorado.org
In addition to shepherding UpRoot’s efforts along the Front Range, Dave coordinated the Farm & Food Mobile Workforce pilot project—a collaborative effort working to bring on-demand, supplemental labor to Colorado farmers and ranchers—from 2018-2021. Before helping to organize UpRoot, he was on the organizing team of Feeding the 5000 Front Range, a one-day food-waste awareness event held in downtown Denver in 2016, and he also worked with purpose-driven organizations and startups writing content and implementing creative and social media strategies. Dave has a B.A. in English from Fairfield University and has completed post-graduate programs at The Creative Circus in Atlanta and CMCI Studio at the University of Colorado Boulder. Dave was an RMFU Fellow in 2018.
Joy Amore
She/her/ella
Gleaning & Food-systems Coordinator | Metro Denver
JOY@UPROOTCOLORADO.ORG
After graduating from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with a B.S. in Sustainable Design, Joy moved from the West Side of Chicago to Metro Denver. She loves gardening, learning, and designing. Initially, she moved to Denver in pursuit of professional gardening, wishing that there was a way she could impact an in-need community and the environment. She joined UpRoot as a Gleaning & Food-Systems Coordinator, bringing an understanding of plant knowledge, a drive for change, creativity, and ambition; she hopes to bridge gaps of inequity within food systems.
Abbey Andersen
She/her/ella
Gleaning & Food-systems Coordinator | Delta County
abbey@UPROOTCOLORADO.ORG
Portland, Oregon native Abbey Andersen arrived in Paonia in the summer of 2019 for an art residency with Elsewhere Studios and found herself captivated by the many abundances of the North Fork Valley. Before settling in Colorado, armed with a visual art degree from Humboldt State University and an eye for beautiful edible things, Abbey spent over a decade traveling and tasting her way around the globe. A myriad of WWOOFing stints (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms), catering, teaching, and farming work provided her with a unique education about where food comes from—and where it goes. For Abbey, very few things are more satisfying than gathering, sharing, and celebrating abundant good food with her community. In the small percentage of time she’s not plotting life around picnics and kitchen tables, Abbey enjoys adventures in the desert and mountains, drawing, pottery, swing dancing, writing, playing her harmonicas, and figuring out how to make everything a little bit extra special.
Rachel Zetah Becker
She/her/ella
Gleaning & Food-systems Coordinator | Glenwood Springs
rachel@UPROOTCOLORADO.ORG
Rachel is an artist at heart with a deep and enthusiastic love for food and the land from which it grows. Several years ago, she returned to her hometown of Silt where she began working in small-scale agriculture and learning about the farm and food networks of the Western Slope.
Rachel is interested in the way that food can be a bridge connecting communities, ecosystems, cultures, and economies—with the potential to remind us where we come from and what is possible. She is passionate about empowering people to reconnect to their bioregion and cultivate personal sovereignty through investing in local food systems.
In addition to her role at UpRoot, Rachel works as a death doula. She has training in end-of-life care and interfaith ministry, and received a BFA in graphic design from Chapman University. She loves a good dance party and wandering in wild places, especially while snacking on the bounty of edible plants along the way.
Emily Larson
She/Her/Ella
Gleaning & Food-systems Coordinator | Boulder County
Emily@uprootcolorado.org
As a farmer's daughter who spent her childhood working on a small, family-run organic produce farm in New England, Emily knows firsthand the importance of supporting local producers. After more than a decade working as an Environmental Scientist, Emily is returning to her roots and is pursuing her passion of increasing food equity within the community. Emily believes that access to fresh, nutritious food is a basic human right that everyone deserves to enjoy. Emily hopes to help improve food access and reduce waste within Boulder County, which has been her home for the past 14 years, while supporting small, local farmers. She is excited to combine her passion to feed people with her background in agriculture, the sciences, and her continual involvement volunteering in her community to help further the mission at UpRoot. Emily is also a 2024 RMFU Fellow. In her free time, Emily enjoys trail running and cross country skiing in the Colorado Mountains, adventuring with her two young kids, and planning the next delicious meal to share with friends and family.