As a child growing up in central Ohio, Craig and his siblings were each assigned a section of the family's one acre garden. He was fascinated with the variety of flowers and vegetables they could grow. His first job was selling honey, and eventually he opened a food co-op that still exists today.

Craig is a founding member of the Board of Directors for O'Hara Commons. He joined to connect with the community and hopes to share and nurture his lifelong passion for the growing things of this planet with others. He has served in officer roles since the inception and brings a wealth of experience. 

Craig is the father of four children and has been married to his beautiful, calm and patient wife for over 40 years.

Growing up, Karen wanted to be a Naturalist. She never became one. . . professionally.

She is, however, a consummate researcher and lifelong student of nature and all that piques her curiosity. She moved to the Bitterroot a few years ago and is loving all the new adventures Montana has to offer.​

Karen and her husband spend their free time exploring and looking for new places to hike, hunt, and fish.  At home they experiment with creative recipes using locally grown foods and harvested game. Karen is learning how to garden in this northern climate and is convinced that the secret to a weed-free pasture is right below the soles of your boots. Karen has three grown children and can’t wait to have her grandson come and visit for the whole summer!

Katelyn grew up in beautiful northern California surrounded by lush forests and sweeping beaches. Some of her most beloved memories are following her grandma shopping at the local farmers market and returning home to make food magic in the kitchen. A love of food and sharing it with others has continued to be a theme, following her from far-flung places around the globe to the Bitterroot Valley. She’ll never turn down a chance to eat goat stew on a mountaintop in the Himalayas…..Katelyn wears many hats these days but her favorite by far is being mother to three lovely humans.

Katelyn loves to garden, soak in nature with her family, and build & create with her hands. With a background in small farm management and food production, Katelyn brings a penchant for organization, a commitment to quality and an enthusiasm for O’Hara’s mission to bring local, healthy food to the community. 

When not fermenting at House of Ferments, Erin can be found outside attempting to be sporty while usually drinking some sort of fermented beverage.  She has a soft spot for all things furry, especially her best bud, Omi. ​

Erin has called Western Montana home since 2001.  She hails from the Northeast where she earned a BS in Environmental Science from The University of Vermont.  Erin worked in the field of restoration ecology in the intermountain west for 15 years before the lure of fermentation and her love of food and community inspired her to start her own business, House of Ferments.  Erin believes that food is a common denominator.  It’s a great way to learn from and about others.  Erin loves fermentation because it is a blend of science, art, and culture.

Olivia is a mother of a little human, pigs, chickens and her business Lilly of the Valley. She specializes in organically grown cut flowers, medicinal herbs, herbal soap making and other crafts that she picked up over the years as a florist & farmer.

With a degree in Fish and Wildlife Management, Olivia became passionate about working with land and began her first job on an organic vegetable production farm in New Jersey over 10 years ago. She traveled across the country working at several different farms, learning skills and eventually landing in Montana with her husband Josh, where they have been operating their small-scale farm, Lilly of the Valley, since 2019. She is very passionate about local food, ecological impact & rehabilitation of land in agricultural practices, creating accessible systems for all people of diversity and social classes, and personally spends all her free time outdoors identifying the flora and fauna of mountain life.

Bill grew up in outdoors of "Penn's Woods" and for the last 3 decades calls Montana home.

At an early age, forced attrition in the family garden was mandatory.  The usual...hoeing, weeding, harvesting, snapping beans, etc.  But there was a bright spot...eating it.  

All our food was grown/raised by us or someone we knew.  Beef, chicken and pork from local farmers.  Dad got "unclassified" potatoes (Blems/2nds) that we stored in Grandma's root cellar which was under the house complete with dirt floor and vented just right.  Also in there were squash varieties, carrots, parsnips and whatever else we could stash.

Gram made the most awesome homemade bread.  So...there were at least 6 different kinds of jellies along with a host of veggies canned and stored in massive quantity hopefully lasting until the next seasons harvest. 

The best food that you can put in your mouth only brings a multitude of benefits.  We are fortunate beyond ones wildest dreams to have dozens of small farm producers working tirelessly here in the Bitterroot to bring that to our tables...year around.   Support and thank them when you can.