FarmFolk CityFolk is a not for profit society that works to cultivate a local, sustainable food system. Our projects provide access to & protection of foodlands; support local growers and producers; and engage communities in the celebration of local food.
"Something happens to people who plant seeds–it is impossible to watch a plant grow and flourish without getting a sense of the miracle of all life."
-Herb Barbolet, Co-founder of FarmFolk CityFolk
FarmFolk CityFolk Society
Board of Directors 2012/2013 (Stewardship Team)
Heather Johnstone – Chair: Manager, North Shore Neighbourhood House Edible Garden Project
Candice Gartry, CGA – Treasurer: Director, Finance & Accounting, VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation
Vijay Cuddeford: Managing Editor, Developing Countries, Farm Radio International
Michael Dary: Management Consultant, Accenture
Jodie Lightfoot: Social Media & Marketing Coordinator, Future Shop
Cory Pelan: Owner, The Whole Beast Artisan Salumeria.
Paula Panek: Retired CGA
Molly Thurston: Co-owner and Operator of Claremont Ranch Organics
Staff
Nicholas Scapillati, Executive Director ~ Nicholas is a dedicated activist and conservationist. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biogeography, from McMaster University and has worked in conservation for over 15 years. First with the David Suzuki Foundation as a researcher & project coordinator working on Climate Change, Marine Conservation, and the Great Bear Rainforest project.
While at the Foundation Nicholas worked as a researcher on David Suzuki’s best selling book The Sacred Balance, later developing it into a cross Canada multi media tour to launch David Suzuki’s Nature Challenge, and co-producing a television special for the Discovery Channel based on the tour.
As the Executive Director of the Musqueam Ecosystem Conservation Society Nicholas incorporated both science and traditional ecological knowledge into the organizations many programs including a BioBlitz of the Musqueam Creek ecosystem; the first of its kind in Vancouver. He has extensive experience in program management, fundraising, coordinating multi-level stakeholder processes, and relationship building particular with First Nations communities.
Urban agriculture has been a tradition in Nicholas’ family for generations that has cultivated his love of food and passion for cooking. Nicholas lives in Vancouver with his wife Kas and their dog Sitka.
Heather Pritchard, Farm Program Manager ~ a long time food activist and co-founder/farmer with Glorious Organics Co-op in the Fraser Valley. She is the grand daughter of H. G. Neufeld, who has been inducted into the Saskatchewan Agricultural Hall of Fame for his work as a plant breeder in the early development of canola seed.
Bonita Jo Magee, Project & Events Manager ~ Bonita's education includes an Environmental Studies Diploma (with honors). Her work experience is diverse – including computer consulting, health food manufacturing, and campaigning for the protection of wilderness and wildlife. While working with FarmFolkCityFolk, Bonita is educating herself about farming and making plans to purchase farm/ranchland with her family and a handful of friends.
Michael Marrapese, Communications & Technology ~ Michael is our resident communications and technology guru. Our webmaster and Editor-in-Chief of our magazine, he also produces promotional materials, writes public interest articles, and meets the challenges of the ever-evolving world of technology in a limited-budget, not-for-profit office. Michael is an avid photographer whose photos elegantly don the pages of FarmFolkCityFolk, the book. He is a long time resident of the Fraser Common Farm Cooperative in the Fraser Valley.
Erin Nichols – Project Manager, Shared Harvest ~ Erin has worked in various capacities over the last 16 years to optimize the local food system and support food security. She is a Founder of the Vancouver Farmers Markets and was the Promotions Supervisor for spud!, an online grocery delivery business. She developed business opportunities for venders at the Vancouver Farmers Market and for Tarragon Foods, a local co-packer and food processor. Erin is now the Project Manager for Shared Harvest Metro Vancouver, part of the Online Trader Project with FarmFolk CityFolk, and the Coordinator for the Trout Lake Cedar Cottage Food Security Network.
Niki Westman, Financial Manager ~ Niki joined FarmFolk CityFolk in June 2011 as the Finance Manager. Niki is equally excited crunching home-grown vegetables from her community garden as she is crunching numbers for local non-profit organizations and small businesses focused on promoting environmental and economic sustainability, social justice, and good health. Her passion for supporting local small-scale agriculture was first brought to fruition when she founded a community garden in her Mount Pleasant neighbourhood in 2002, which she continues to coordinate today.
Niki's past work as a number cruncher included a decade at Ecotrust Canada as the Finance Administrator, where she supported the growth of the conservation economy in BC. Prior to that, she was the bookkeeper at Finlandia Natural Pharmacy, where she enhanced her knowledge of nutrition, herbal remedies, and alternative healing. Niki is originally from southern Ontario, where she earned an undergraduate degree in business, and a Masters in English, focusing on environmental issues and First Nations' culture in literature. She is currently studying to become a Certified General Accountant as she works part time as the Finance Manager at FarmFolk CityFolk.
Tallulah Winkleman - Administration and Farm Tour Coordinator ~ Tallulah is a shareholder of Fraser Common Farm, a certified organic farm in Langley, where she periodically farms. She is also an actor and a mother.
Contract Staff
Sara Dent, Young Agrarians Coordinator ~ Sara is a permaculture educator, farmer, photographer and project manager. She has worked for over a dozen years in the non–profit sector for arts, youth and social change organizations. Her foray into farming began as a wwoofer in 2006, and in 2008 she studied organic small scale farming and permaculture design at Linnaea Farm on Cortes Island. Since she has worked on a number of different farms from BC to Mexico. She is currently on farm rest in Vancouver and satisfying her farm itch by coordinating/producing Young Agrarians, inspired by The Greenhorns movement in the U.S. She is enjoying her community garden plot, teaching urban permaculture and is looking forward to growing much more food, and supporting food growers- long into the future. www.farmlove.org, www.youngagrarians.org
Event Planners
Kelly Farrell, Metro Vancouver Events Coordinator ~ Hailing from Niagara Falls, Ontario, Kelly grew up in a small family whose lives revolved around sourcing, planning and sharing meals together. Summers meant Saturday morning farmers’ markets, berry picking, ice cream at the dairy farm and afternoon picnic lunches bought from the local butcher shop. Winters were for warm apple cider at the orchard, Sunday morning trips to the Italian bakery, and Friday night dinners at the local restaurant. After moving to Kingston to get a degree from Queen’s University (a Drama major – she had toyed with the idea of becoming an actor), followed by a brief stint in Toronto, Kelly made her way out to the West Coast and has called Vancouver home for the past seven years. Now a Marketing Communications professional, Kelly has worked in both the corporate and non-profit side of the food business and is a veteran of the hospitality industry, having working in restaurants throughout Vancouver, Toronto and Scotland. A lover of red wine, dark coffee, and cured meats, Kelly is eager to share her love of the local food scene and the people dedicated to making Vancouver such a delicious place to live.
Jennifer Freeman, Vancouver Island Events Coordinator ~ Jennifer is excited to become a part of the FarmFolk CityFolk team. As owner-operator of Kalamoon Organic Farm in beautiful Glenora, Cowichan Valley, she knows first hand about the trials and tribulations that face small-scale organic farmers. Previous to this, she was busy engaging in a wide variety of urban food security issues. Her favorite was growing fresh vegetables for her box program at Victoria's unique Mason Street City Farm.
Jennifer also spent four years connecting the dots on poverty and food access by coordinating Victoria's Good Food Box Program and co-founding the Capital Regional Good Food Society. She has been a leader of community kitchens throughout the CRD, initiating widespread interest that led to the formation of Victoria's Community Kitchen Network.
Jennifer takes great pride and joy when she sees plants sprouting from spring's cold soil or one more person learning how to prepare local produce. Above all, she loves to organize a good event that connects more people to the absolute necessity of local agriculture!
Alison Love, Okanagan Feast of Fields Coordinator ~ Alison is 'head mixer' of a boutique marketing company, Spatula Media + Communications, specializing in the restaurant, food and wine industry in the Okanagan Valley. With over 30 years of marketing experience and 23 international and national marketing awards recognizing creativity, special event planning, branding and public relations strategy, she brings a wealth of diverse experience to her clients. Growing up on a farm in Ontario with her large extended family she has a love of fresh ingredients and respect for the hard working farmer that is embedded in her DNA. Spatula Media + Communications has worked with a number of high profile clients including RauDZ Regional Table, the Okanagan Chefs Association, Manteo Resort and Villas, Ballet Kelowna, and Codfathers Seafood Market. Alison and her husband also produce socially conscious documentaries that have been recognized with Geminis, Emmys, and film festival awards from around the world. To relax she spends her time with her fur-family of two dogs and two cats.
Jennifer Vincent, Meet Your Maker Okanagan Coordinator ~ Jennifer has a background in Horticulture and an Arts degree. Growing up on a small hobby farm in the Fraser Valley has fueled a passion for encouraging food gardening and self-sufficiency in others. Jennifer lived in Australia for over a decade, returning to Canada in 2009. She now calls Penticton home. She is the founder of Little Green Book, a consultancy centered on building collaborative connections between community groups. This past year, Little Green Book partnered with local food distributor, LocalMotive to build a novel CSA-style program called the Farm Bag Fundraiser. This initiative assists schools and community groups to sell a monthly bag of locally-grown produce from October to April – fundraising groups earn 20% of sales. In the first year of operation the program has sold 30,000 lbs of produce. Jennifer also sits on the Board of the Penticton Urban Agriculture Association and the Downtown Penticton Association. Community development, experimental gardening and eating locally are of keen interest. She has apricot-coloured memories of childhood summers and weekends spent in her family's Naramata orchard. No stone fruit has ever tasted as good as one fresh from those trees.
