Meet the Members

Jasmine Chaffee: Program Director

Jasmine has always had a love for the outdoors and the environment. As a child she spent her summers exploring the north woods of Wisconsin from a canoe, kayak or with a backpack on. After high school, Jasmine worked as a summer adventure camp counselor leading backcountry trips, facilitating ropes courses, and overseeing the garden and compost facilities. During the school year, she worked for Boston University as an experiential education teacher at a satellite school in New Hampshire. Eventually, she made her way out west and attended the University of Montana, where she pursued a bachelor’s degree in sustainable agriculture and business.

Jasmine began working for the Montana Department of Agriculture in 2014. She has worked in the pesticide licensing, apiary, and noxious weed programs and is currently the State Noxious Weed Coordinator and AgCorps Director. Her favorite part of the job is working with land managers across the state and supporting their efforts to combat noxious weeds and improve native habitat. When not at work, she enjoys exploring the woods and rivers of Montana with her dogs and husband, gardening, and making paper flowers.

Amanda Coyle: Program Coordinator

Amanda has a background in Environmental and International Studies. Her passion for the Environment really took form with a study abroad program in Tanzania where she studied the wildlife as well as the effects Climate Change on local farmers. Since then, she has worked in multiple wildlife sanctuaries and outdoor education positions.

 With a dedicated passion for service, Amanda has volunteered for many organizations including Habitat for Humanity, Pure Thoughts Horse Rescue, Hospitality Helping Hands and Prickly Pear Land Trust. Her more formal journey of service started with the Peace Corps in Mongolia where she served two years as a secondary School English Teacher. Returning early due to COVID 19 opened her eyes to the world of AmeriCorps where she served as Team Lead for Montana State Parks AmeriCorps. That journey led her to where she is now as the program coordinator for AgCorps.

Amanda

My name is Amanda Borwege, and I am originally from Carver, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. I hold a B.S. in Environmental Science and am currently in my final year of a master’s program in Energy and Environmental Management. After spending the past three years working in the political world, I’m excited to dive into agriculture and environmental education.

I am serving as the Ag Education Specialist with the Montana Farmers Union and am based out of Great Falls. Throughout the year, I will be traveling across Montana visiting classrooms and teaching students about agriculture, how we grow our food, plants, pollinators, and sustainable farming practices. During the summer months, I’ll be up at MFU’s Arrowpeak Camp delivering educational programming and helping support camp activities.

I’m most excited to explore Montana and get kids excited about agriculture and where their food comes from! In my free time, I enjoy reading, hiking, camping, spending time with my dog Vinny, and cheering on the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Arysa

Hi! My name is Arysa Puckett, and I was born and raised in Oklahoma. I moved to Colorado to study forest biology at CSU and fell in love with all things compost and zero waste. My mom and I spent long hours in our garden growing up, which sparked my initial interest in sustainable ag. Now, the goal is to learn as much as I can, so one day I can have my own community farm. My role within AgCorps is as a Community Agriculture Educator. I serve at Hellgate Elementary and Middle School and Garden City Harvest. I've got big dreams for this season, but I am most excited for harvest season and to watch the kids make the full-circle connection to where their food comes from: the soil and the air! When I'm not serving, I love to trail run, read, and cook for my loved ones.

Audree

My name is Audree Armstrong and I am from Houston, TX where I have been working in community development consulting since graduating from Texas State University with a background in Geography and Environmental Studies. I will be serving as the Recycling and Groundwater Education Specialist with the Montana Department of Agriculture. During my service term, I am looking forward to getting students across the state excited about data and connecting agriculturally minded Montanans with resources that will meet their needs. In my free time, you might find me on the trails, in the aisles of the thrift store, or in the warmest corner of the library.

Averie

My name is Averie Wheatley, and I grew up exploring the southern hills of Appalachia in Alabama. I graduated with my associates in Earth Sciences and, over the years, I have had the privilege of working with an array of organizations around the country that strive to cultivate an appreciation for the land and an understanding of the organisms that depend on it. I am so excited to further that mission during my service term as the Farm to School Specialist with Farm to School of Park County. I’ll be in classrooms, helping students to form connections with how and where their food comes from. I’ll also have my hands in the dirt, helping to grow healthy local food for the community. In my spare time, I’ll be out on trails with my big dog, Birdie, or trying to find something new to learn!

Brooke

My name is Brooke Mills and I’m serving as the Noxious Weed Mapping and Monitoring Specialist. I am from Atlanta, Georgia, where I have lived for my entire life until this year. I graduated in 2024 with a degree in Environmental Science with a focus in Social Science and Policy from Emory University. I have always had a love of the outdoors, but my passion for the environment and conservation really took off during the travel courses I took the college: to The Bahamas, Namibia, and Peru. I am super excited to be working in Montana where I hope to visit many outstanding places and learn about weed identification and management. I also look forward to expanding my GIS knowledge and learning to integrate new tools to make informative maps for everybody. I am currently wrapping up an online certificate for GIS from Michigan State University. In my free time, I enjoy riding horses or staying inside and curling up with a good book and a hot cup of tea.

Grace

A big hello from Texas!  My name is Grace Hoelscher, a small-town plant girl from down south. With a bachelor's degree in Horticultural and Plant Science from Tarleton State University, I have grown into quite the environmental and plant advocate! Throughout my four years of higher education, I managed university greenhouses, assisted with entomological research, and maintained deep connections with organizations like the Texas Master Naturalists, Texas Nursery and Landscape Association, and Native Plant Society of Texas.  After graduation in December, I decided that to make an impact within communities and encourage a strengthened connection between people and our natural world, AmeriCorps was my next path. For the next ten months I will serve on the Montana AgCorps team, an AmeriCorps program of the Montana State Department of Agriculture,  as the Citizen Botany Coordinator with the Montana Natural Heritage Program! Within my position I will be the main point of contact for our Citizen Botanists and applicants, here to help and provide resources throughout the year, and conduct outreach for our program. Outside of service, you'll find me soaking up the mountain view on a hike, on the road to see as much of MT as I can, or at the movies.

Isabel

My name is Isabel Feld and I’m serving as the Agriculture Development Specialist with the Montana Department of Agriculture. I’m from Lexington, Kentucky where I lived my whole life until college. I graduated from Miami University of Ohio in 2024 with a business degree in Marketing. I knew I wanted to focus on working with the environment when I went snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef this past year while I was backpacking Asia. The experience opened my eyes to the possibilities of the natural world if we choose to take care of it intentionally. It also made me understand how tourism can change outsiders’ perspectives and influence them to feel this same responsibility. I’m excited to experience life in Montana, explore nearby national parks, and see bald eagles. I’m also looking forward to learning about agriculture and agritourism, utilizing my marketing skills, and getting to meet the down-to-earth people in the industry. In my free time, I enjoy taking film photos, traveling, writing, and being outdoors.

Kaitlyn

My name is Kaitlyn Skelton, and I’m from the Dallas–Fort Worth area in Texas. I graduated in 2024 from Stephen F. Austin State University with a bachelor’s degree in agriculture, with a concentration in horticulture. I first became interested in agriculture in high school through FFA, where I developed a passion for plants, sustainable growing practices, and food systems.

I currently serve as the People’s Garden Coordinator at MetraPark, where I help care for the People’s Garden and collaborate with local partners, schools, and agricultural organizations on planting, harvesting, and educational activities throughout the year. This season, I’m especially excited to explore Montana, hopefully visiting Yellowstone and Glacier.

Outside of service, I enjoy reading, hiking, and traveling. I’ve been lucky to work in a variety of places, including WWOOFing and completing a harvest season at a winery in New Zealand, guiding nature walks in Alaska, and doing conservation and horticulture work in Oregon, Colorado, and Texas. These experiences have shaped my interest in agriculture and conservation and deepened my love for learning about new places through their landscapes and communities.

Olivia

My name is Olivia Luplow and I’m the Food System Outreach Specialist at Farm Connect Montana. In this role I work across programs to assist with community outreach and engagement strategies including agritourism events and food access initiatives. I’m originally from Michigan but am joining AgCorps and the Farm Connect team from Washington state, where I have a background in farming and food access education. I’m passionate about advocating for locally supported, sustainable food systems and am excited to integrate into the Missoula community!

Outside of work, I find joy in fiber arts, hiking, tending to land/animals, and practicing yoga.

Olivia

My name is Olivia, and I’m originally from Madison, Wisconsin. I’m thrilled to be spending my first full year in the Flathead. I first arrived in Montana in 2023, spending my summers working in Glacier National Park. I’m joining Land to Hand through AgCorps as the 2026 Community Education Specialist, where I’m excited to support hands-on education that empowers folks to connect with their food systems. I am passionate about cultivating meaningful relationships through food, education, and shared stewardship. Outside of work, you can find me climbing, skiing, swimming, and frolicking through wildflower fields with my hiking buddies.

Sydney

Hi, I’m Sydney Crabtree, the Apiary and Natural Resource Specialist with AgCorps Montana. Now in my second year in this role, I bring a passion for ecology and pollinators to my work every day. Originally from Georgia, I moved to Montana in early 2025 after earning my bachelor’s degree in Ecology from UGA. Although I haven’t been here long, I’ve quickly fallen in love with Montana—the people are welcoming, and my job allows me to spend time with what brings me the most joy: bees!

This year, I’m looking forward to continuing my work as the local “bee doctor,” educating both hobbyists and commercial apiarists on healthy management practices through the Helena Beekeepers Club. I’m also excited to raise awareness and support for our native bee species by leading local habitat rehabilitation projects.

Of course, not everything in my life revolves around bees. Outside of work, you’ll often find me hiking Montana’s trails, building models, or working on my latest crochet project.