Co-Owner, Green Mountain Girls Farm, LLC

Mari Omland grew up in the hills around Rutland. In 2007, she returned to Vermont with her wife Laura Olsen to establish Green Mountain Girls Farm. We seek to provide authentic Vermont farm experiences (day visits/overnight stays/events) and grow food in ways that make our farm better able to grow food in the future. 

Prior to returning to Vermont, Mari was the Director of Conservation for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) based in Harpers Ferry, WV, where she launched the Appalachian Trail MEGA-Transect and provided leadership and direction for ATC’s four regional offices. Prior experience included a decade of work with Conservation International (CI) where she served on the Executive Management Team. As Senior Director for CI’s West Africa program, Mari led a six country, ecosystem-wide process that engaged 90 institutions and determined regional biodiversity conservation priorities. She was also instrumental in the establishment of Kakum National Park and its canopy walkway, winner of the Condé Nast Ecotourism Award and the British Airways Tourism for Tomorrow Award.

She is a passionate conservationist, experienced in program and budget development, oversight of major facility construction, design and installation of interpretative exhibits, as well as implementation of visitor use plans and education programs. She is preoccupied with the challenges associated with farm viability.

Mari received a BA from Williams College, was a Watson Fellow and completed a Masters in Organizational Learning at George Mason University. She represented the United States in World Cup alpine ski racing events, and was NCAA Division I All-American, and Junior National Champion.