ANGEL LANCE
THE NO-NONSENSE DOER
Angel is a serial entrepreneur, having founded, owned and operated outright 5 separate entities, all of which have been successful financially, socially and with minimal environmental impact. She considers herself a good businesswoman that hasn’t lost her sense of self, her sense of fun or her strict code of values.
To that end, a few years ago, like most people in their early 40’s she did a lot of soul searching and cogitation around how to make an impact going forward, Angel was looking for her next pursuit. Her business was successful but just not as inspiring as it once was. Though much reflection she started thinking about the few things she knew she was good at:
- Growing things and helping make things naturally beautiful and bountiful
- Running a business
- Throwing parties and having zany fun
- Living life to the fullest with a mind’s eye on the planet’s health
Additionally, as a corporate executive, Angel has been the driver and responsible for giving hundreds of thousands of dollars to notable charitable causes. However, there is always a sense of frustration in that once the money had been distributed it was impossible to tell where it went or what good it actually did. As a result, Angel was determined to start a foundation that did what is said it was going to do and communicated openly about where money is going, and what impact it was having. Also putting her own money where her mouth is, she figured out that by signing up for all administration costs of the foundation personally, she could remove the tension of what foundation typically need to keep to themselves and be able to report accurately on impact related activities.
Thus the Gulch Foundation was born.
Angel Lance is a mother of two, a personal sustainable farmer, an aspiring farm to table chef and many other things. Her mission is to create a foundation that will help the environment and it’s many long-time facing issues that need to be handled NOW for a habitable earth for our future generations.
We have the power to make a difference
– Angel Lance
MEET THE TEAM
DR. AVIVA ROSSI
RESEARCH DIRECTOR
Dr. Aviva Rossi is an ecologist with over 20 years of work experience in wildlife ecology, vegetation management, and habitat restoration. She has worked within non-profit organizations, government, private companies, and academia. Her general research interests include biogeography, natural history, mammalogy, climate change, conservation, and land regeneration. Dr. Rossi’s recent projects have quantified the natural history of small mammals, including the niche space, resource selection, and modeled distributions to better understand how species are likely to respond to climate change. Her current work is focused on tracking changes to soil and wildlife biodiversity trends during regenerative agriculture transitions.
As an educator, Dr. Rossi emphasizes experiential learning. She has been teaching at the university-level for a decade, at both the undergraduate and graduate level, including designing and leading field courses. She is looking forward to the opportunity to involve local students in Gulch Foundation projects, including those at Rainmaker Farm.
Aviva was born on a small farm and got her hands in the ground early planting and raising food with her family. Her foundational knowledge of ecology started with her understanding of our inextricable ties to the complex food web on earth. As a mother of two children, Aviva feels strongly about working on projects that are making progress towards a sustainable future. At the Gulch she is grateful to be working towards a more stable climate future, thriving natural resources, and happy well-fed human beings.
MARTY WILLIAMS
AGRICULTURE DIRECTOR
Marty Williams is a 7th generation Oklahoma farmer with a lifetime of experience in farming and ranching, including his own diverse no-till farming operation centered around conservation of our natural resources. He brings a broad range of agricultural expertise to The Gulch that is crucial for the success of our regenerative agriculture projects.
Marty holds a Bachelor of Science in Plant and Soil Sciences from Oklahoma State University. During his formal education, he found his passion for making farms better to pass on to the next generation, he wanted to conserve the soil and to make a difference. He has been successful in doing so, and was recognized by Oklahoma State University’s Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources with the Master Agronomist Award (2015), the most prestigious presented by the Division. It recognizes his active participation in education and public service in soil conservation and other related fields. He was also recognized by The Progressive Farmer as one of America’s Best Young Farmers and Ranchers. Marty is the president of the Noble County Conservation District, the local board that implements federal and state soil and water conservation practices with local producers.
His ambition and love for agriculture keeps him both locally and nationally striving to better the agriculture industry, and he prioritizes quality, conservation, character, relationships, and integrity.
Marty co-manages his own farm with his wife Crystal, and their two children. The Oklahoma Farm Bureau recognized the work of this dedicated family and awarded Marty and Crystal with the Young Farmers and Ranchers Achievement Award.
You can learn more about Marty, Crystal, and their farm at frontierfarmsok.com.
Kellan Hostetler
Farm Manager
Kellan Hostetler is the Farm Manager at Rainmaker Farm. He is a 5th generation farmer and rancher in on neighboring properties. He has a wide variety of skills and experience, and if he can’t do something himself, he always knows someone who can. He combines that hands-on knowledge with a degree in Agribusiness from Oklahoma State University and has become an invaluable member of our team.