Rescued Hearts Ranch Mission

To empower youth by providing hands-on experiences through community care-farming.

Our Approach

Rescued Hearts Ranch is committed to improving the lives of children, adolescents, and adults through Animal and Farm-Based activities, also known as care-farming. 

What is care-farming?

Care-farming promotes mental and physical health by combining the care of animals ​and the natural world with the care of people. The care-farm approach is simple, safe and focuses on three restorative areas of support:

• Care-farming, which includes offerings such as gardening and horticulture, animal interaction, animal caregiving, outdoor recreation;
• Contemplative practices which include emotion identification, mindfulness and journaling;
• Physical well-being which includes physical activity and education on healthy eating and sleeping habits.

​What are the outcomes and benefits to participating in care-farming?

• Development of social skills
• Increased self-esteem
• Healthy coping methods
• Connect with others
• Gain a sense of purpose
• Learn vocational skills

Is care-farming based in science?

Yes! Care-farming, as a whole and in its individual components, has been shown to help many vulnerable population groups. Many countries in Europe utilize care-farming as a humanistic approach to human suffering in vulnerable groups with profoundly positive outcomes that reduce harm and help people improve their emotional balance. 



Where are we located?
We are located in Gardnerville, Nevada.

Meet our Team

Maggie Levin

Founder & President

Maggie was born on a large cattle ranch in Colorado and grew up on a tree and cattle farm in Louisiana. She was active in 4-H and FFA, showed cows and judged livestock, and was very involved in the agriculture industry in high school.
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After graduating from Wellesley College in Wellesley, MA in 2008 with a degree in Love and Relationship Psychology and Jewish Studies, she returned to Colorado and worked as an assistant at an Environmental, Water, and Ag Law Firm.

​In 2016, she started a successful mortgage career with Greenfront Mortgage in Zephyr Cove, Nevada. Maggie and her team are thrilled that their dreams are coming true for Rescued Hearts Ranch to become a beacon of wellness and bring enrichment to the community.

Lauren Ashley

Vice-President

Lauren was born and raised in Florida before coming to Nevada in 2012. She and her family spent several summers in Wyoming experiencing in the lambing seasons and caring for the ranch. In her academic years, Lauren studied at the University of Central Florida where she graduated with a bachelors of science in interpersonal communication. Moving to Carson City in 2012 and then to
Gardnerville in 2017, Lauren found her niche working with the children and volunteers at the ranch and bringing her past adventures into a new light.

Lauren is a mother to three boys including twins. Her children love to participate in all the activities at the ranch and help the new participants feel welcomed throughout each new session.

Jessi Bartlett
Director of Marketing

With her never-give-up approach to life, Jessi Bartlett continues to thrive throughout her personal life and profession as well.  She is a generational Realtor who was born and raised in Lake Tahoe.   Growing up in the mountains, she cultivated a passion for outdoor recreation including golf, snowboarding, mountain biking, and horseback riding.  As a mom and an animal lover she knows the value of bringing the two together.  She likes directing her energy to improving the lives of those around her.  Combining her love of helping others, horses, the great outdoors and children she is dedicated to the success of this very unique program.

Leanne Hawken
Board Member, Fundraising Advisor
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Leanne has 25+ years of experience in the fields of psychology, education, positive behavior intervention and support (PBIS) and applied behavior analysis (ABA). She’s a board certified behavior analyst (BCBA) a parent of a neurodivergent teen, she knows first-hand the importance of focusing on prevention of behavior problems and has published extensively on this topic (see her Google Scholar page). Leanne’s passion for making a difference with children  is in total alignment with the goals of Rescued Hearts Ranch and she’s excited to serve as a board member.  

Amanda Price

Board Member, Treasurer

​Amanda’s background stems from her education and training as an Industrial Engineer. After more than 7 years of professional experience in the manufacturing and product development industries where she provided professional product development and rollout consultation, as well as project
management services, she transitioned to opening her own boutique Travel Advisory business and continues to provide technology and sales solutions consulting services to small businesses.

As someone who has personally benefited from nonprofit therapy programs throughout her teens and young adult life she passionately wants to remove the stigma of mental health care, especially for teens where early detection and treatment is critical to their lifelong mental health success.​
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Sandy Dobronte
​ Board Member, Fundraising Advisor
Entrepreneur, Visionary Designer of the Aspen Creekside Lodge and Las Fuentes Concierge Villa. The creator of P.A.T.H. 501 C3 - Providing Art that Heals. Former CEO of the Phillips Galleries of Fine Art originated in Carmel, CA.

Tanya Pittson

Board Member
I have a passion for working with children and guiding them as they discover their potential.   Over the past 25 years, I have dedicated myself to working with kids of all ages, both professionally and as a volunteer in the public schools in California. I have helped children set goals, make plans to achieve success, manage stress and anxiety, and empower themselves to be their own health advocates.

I retired six years ago  and moved to Gardnerville  where I live with my  husband 2 horses, 35 chickens and our 65 pound labradoodle  Bently. 

Joining  Rescued Hearts Ranch is an exciting new chapter, for me, blending my passions for working with children, gardening, and animals.  It's a great way for me to  stay active , give back to the community and to share my  love of nature and animals with others.