Staff & Board

Staff Members

Heather brings over 15 years of leadership experience in non-profit, social enterprise and social innovation to her role as Executive Director at BC Farmers’ Markets. A creative thinker and doer, Heather is passionate about all things farm and food, along with entrepreneurship, small business and empowering the local economy in communities of all shapes and sizes, small and large, rural and urban in all corners of BC.

Heather is an innovative leader and elevator who brings organizations and initiatives to the next level. Prior to joining BC Association of Farmers’ Markets, Heather served as Executive Director with the award winning social enterprise Potluck Café & Catering, which creates jobs and provides healthy, fresh food for people living in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, along with a brief role as Executive Producer with CityStudio. Along the way, Heather has mentored and supported dozens of social entrepreneurs, non-profits and social enterprises through various work with Vancity Community Foundation and SFU.

After completing the KPU Tsawwassen Farm School program, Heather founded Filly Farm, an organic, small scale farm demonstration project, horse powered by manure compost. An avid horse lover and owner, Heather lives in Delta on the traditional territory of the Tsawwassen and Musqueam people.

A transplanted prairie girl, Heather acquired her MBA, along with Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Environmental Studies, all from the University of Manitoba.

Peter’s first connection to farming began when he was 12 years old, as a potato picker in Northern Maine. Peter is a founder of the Surrey Urban Farmers Market, which created a locally-funded nutrition coupon program. In BC, Peter has worked with the Certified Organic Associations of BC, the BC Health Living Alliance, and the Surrey-White Rock Food Action Coalition on a number of projects. Peter has been on staff with a Member of Parliament and a Member of the Legislative Assembly. He also worked as a Project Coordinator with Peace Brigades International’s projects in Nepal and Sri Lanka and as a Training Coordinator with Hostelling International in the United States. He has a Bachelor of Science in Public Relations/Mass Communications, from Boston University. Peter lives in New Westminster with his partner, Colleen and their child, Rory.

Quinn was born and raised in Calgary, AB where she spent her life studying dance, taking her across Canada and Europe. She received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Calgary before relocating to BC.  She moved to New Westminster in 2018 where she took courses on Small Business Management and got involved with her local Farmers Market. Quinn spent 2 years as Market Manager for the New West Farmers Market and is thrilled to continue her work in this sector with the FMNCP, advocating for local farmers and food security. When not at work Quinn enjoys baking, yoga, exploring nature, and tending to her collection of houseplants.

Meredith grew up in Nova Scotia, lived in Toronto, Calgary and Dublin before settling down in Vancouver. She joined the BCAFM team in May 2018. She is a mother of three children and spends her time volunteering with many organizations including preparing family meals once a month at Ronald McDonald House. She works part time with the BC Association of Farmers’ Markets and also with the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation. She has an affinity for the outdoors and loves back country camping, kayaking, hiking and skiing.

Melissa is an event planning and logistics professional with over 15 years of experience. She has previously worked with the Surrey Urban Farmers Market, New Westminster Farmers Market and most recently was the Executive Director of the Fraser North Farmers Market Society overseeing the management of the Port Coquitlam and Haney Farmers Markets. She is an award winning fundraiser and has assisted in generating over $1 million in revenue for the BC SPCA helping animals in need of veterinary care. Melissa is dedicated to helping small businesses succeed and enjoys working with passionate individuals who are contributing to the well-being and economic success of their communities.When not thinking about or visiting farmers markets Melissa is hanging out with her young son, Logan in the City of Port Coquitlam. During her “off” time she loves to preserve food, bake yummy cakes and go camping and explore British Columbia.

Jocelyn grew up in Vancouver, B.C., and is currently a student at BCIT’s Business Administration Program specializing in Marketing. She joined the BCAFM team in April 2022 and currently works part-time. Previously, she has managed social media platforms and PR relations in various small businesses. She is passionate about sharing the stories of farmers through the use of different mediums of communication. Jocelyn also enjoys hiking, long walks, and checking out events + new foods around the city during her free time!

Originally from rural Ontario Courtney moved to British Columbia at the end of 2016 in search of new adventure. Starting in 2017 she began working as a farm hand on a Certified organic farm in Mara B.C. and never looked back! She has worked in the Shuswap, Sea to Sky, and has found her place in the East Kootenays. An avid farmers market goer as both a vendor and consumer, when the opportunity to work for BCAFM was posted she applied. Courtney began working with the BCAFM as a FMNCP Regional Coordinator in October 2022 and loves being part of such a passionate team. She calls Radium Hot Springs home with her husband Drew, and fluffy pooch Tupper. When she’s not working, she enjoys mountain biking, climbing, and trail running.

Jeni grew up in Ontario working in Hospitality and studied Design at OCAD. Following her interest in regenerative design and food security lead her to travel and pursue permaculture certification.
Since moving to the Pacific West Coast, and as a new Mama, she began to educate herself on the devastating impacts of colonialism, food histories, and attachment parenting. Working with BCAFM and the Farmers Market Nutrition Coupon Program encourages her to continue to learn more about our roles in strengthening community networks of resilience. Lately, Jeni has been rediscovering the joy of children’s books, exploring beaches and parks with her Little One, while continuing to create art that inspires accountability and transformation.
Jutta was born in Germany and came to Canada in 1990 with her husband and 2 kids. They started out in Edmonton for the first 6 years and then moved to Vanderhoof the geographical center of BC where they owned and ran a Lake Resort and Restaurant. After they sold the Resort they decided to stay in Vanderhoof. Jutta became involved with the BCAFM first as a Farmers’ Market vendor. She then became the Market Manager and applied to the Nutrition Coupon Program for our Market and is the person handling the program. Jutta is very excited about the program so when the opportunity arose she applied and became the Regional Coordinator for the Northern Region. Jutta enjoys working with and for the organization and the coupon program. She feels it is nice to be able to make a difference in people’s lives.

Mandy grew up in the coastal village of Sechelt and developed a love and appreciation for artisans and farm to table food. When it was time to start her family, she moved to the TNRD with her husband. Since moving to Clearwater, she started working with the Food Security Program and the Clearwater Farmer’s Market. She is passionate about Food Security and ensuring that everyone has access to affordable, nutritious food. She is a mom of three small children and can usually be found in the kitchen of the Community Centre and loves to make elaborate cakes.

Monica Grover moved to Abbotsford in 1994 from New Delhi, India. She did her schooling, Bachelor in Economics and Psychology and Masters in Public Health from a university in Chandigarh. She has also stayed in the middle east for a few years in her schooling years. She worked in textiles for two years in New Delhi. She also had traveled to Yemen and worked in a school teaching English to Arabic speaking children
Started her career in a Financial institution in Abbotsford and then moved to a non-profit, Archway Community Services where she works with  Prenatal Nutrition Program and as a facilitator Best for Babies – a program that works and supports high-risk pregnant mothers in Abbotsford. She has been with this program for the last 20 years. Over the years, she has also developed an expertise in parenting. She runs parenting classes weekly and successfully supports families in reaching their parenting goals.
She joined the British Columbia Association of Farmers’ Markets as a Regional Coordinator in 2019, always been very passionate about supporting locally sourced and locally produced. She incorporates ideas to better local farmers’ markets from her travels globally. She has visited farmers’ markets in Toronto, Arizona, Mexico, and New Mexico, to name a few. She currently resides in Abbotsford with her husband. Her children are in Toronto and Vancouver respectively pursuing their careers as a corporate lawyer and Bio medical Engineer.

Kerri Fulop is a community development enthusiast with a strong connection to both urban and rural life. She grew up in the Lower Mainland of BC and spent a lot of time at her family’s farm in Northern Alberta where she developed a love for country living and hands-on agriculture. During the warmer months you will find Kerri canning, fermenting, and drying fruits and veggies to be enjoyed throughout the year.
With a degree in Recreation Management from Langara College, Kerri has worked in community development for over 18 years, focusing on creating vibrant and connected communities.

Kerri lived part time on Pender Island where she dove into raising chickens, gardening, and tending to an orchard. Kerri now lives in Saanich, where she’s continuing to blend her passions for community and nature. Her journey reflects a commitment to living sustainably and connecting with people and the environment in meaningful ways. Kerri is excited to collaborate with incredible partners and markets to bring healthy local foods to the community and support farmers.

Emily grew up on a small farm in a farming and fishing community and has had a strong connection to food and farming from a young age. She has years of experience working in agriculture both on farms and in the non-profit sector. She has a degree in Sustainable Community Development and Anthropology from SFU and is passionate about building community around food. She runs her own photography and videography business focussing primarily on food, beverage, and hospitality. Emily loves to spend her days off with her partner, Alexa, and sweet pooch, Stevie – visiting the dog beach, chasing the next local beer, trying out new food spots!

Stacey is a communications and grant professional with a passion for non-profits. She has worked with organizations throughout BC and Canada and uses her versatile (some say eclectic) skillset to make organizations stronger, more vocal and more engaging than ever. Backed by a degree in creative writing from the University of Victoria, she loves nothing more than supporting members in every way possible, from streamlining communications and implementing new technology to delivering grants and helping lift new projects off the ground.

Outside of work, Stacey enjoys impromptu cold water swims, long hikes, her beloved house rabbit Ginger, expanding her English pea garden, and most of all spending time with her husband and two young kids.

Jasmine is a marketing and communications professional and holds a bachelor’s degree in Communication from Simon Fraser University. Her love of gardening and passion for local food systems inspired her to move from her home town of Vancouver to Maple Ridge and establish her own small regenerative farm.  She is deeply committed to sustainability and environmental stewardship, values that guide her in both her professional endeavours and personal life. She balances her time working for BCAFM, operating her farm, and raising two daughters.

 

Gaby is a designer and communicator. She has a diverse background in health science, paramedicine, and graphic design.  Gaby is passionate about design as a means to educate, inspire and empower communities. She is very excited to be part of the team at BC Association of Farmers’ Markets working to support farmers and farmers’ markets in BC. In her spare time Gaby enjoys spending time with her rather large brown lab.

Board Members

Wylie cares deeply for Farmers’ Markets and their place in the agriculture, health and business/retail environments. She has continued to be a champion and advocate for vendor and market sustainability and would like to do more for the BCAFM. Wylie is currently involved in local markets, as well as additional regional agriculture and economic development organizations and would like to bring her skills to the BCAFM. She believes that farmers’ markets are an integral component of any farmers business plan and that we need to ensure that markets are strong, vibrant, financially sustainable and critical pieces of their communities.
Greg brings a wealth of experiences to the board. He is currently the farmers’ market manager and the community gardens coordinator for Interior Community Services (ICS). Prior to joining ICS, he worked as the social enterprise coordinator for the Kamloops Food Policy Council, a non-profit advocacy organization dedicated to supporting and improving regional food sovereignty. Before moving to Kamloops in 2017 from Manitoba, Greg worked for Winnipeg Harvest for 8 years, a food distribution hub for a network of food banks and soup kitchens around the city. Winnipeg Harvest also does advocacy work around improving food security for those in need, and reducing food waste in the commercial food system. Greg was also on the Board of Directors for the Winnipeg Repair Education and Cycling Hub (WRENCH), for two years.
Kate is the owner of The Canadian School of Natural Nutrition (CSNN) Vancouver branch and Luna Bookkeeping. She is also the site manager for Sechelt Farmers’ & Artisans’ Market. She has 15 years of experience working in the communications and marketing sectors both in Canada and the UK.

Kate’s love of good food and the idea that food is medicine brought her to CSNN where she graduated with merit as a Registered Holistic Nutritionist in 2011. While studying at CSNN, Kate volunteered with Vancouver Farmers’ Markets, gaining experience growing organic herbs and selling at the market. She went on to become an artisan vendor at multiple lower mainland markets. In 2018 Kate became owner/manager of the Vancouver branch of CSNN. By being a business owner, Kate found her love of finance and bookkeeping and enrolled in the Professional Bookkeepers Certification program at Langara college, to be completed in April 2021. In 2020, Kate took on the role as Site Manager for the Sechelt Farmers’ & Artisans’ Market and looking forward to continuing with this role in 2021. When Kate is not hard at work, she enjoys spending time with her family, exploring the beauty of the Sunshine Coast, tending to her garden or making new connections in the community.

Martin Krell and his family own Tenish Farm, located 26km north of Prince George, where they raise hogs, sheep and hay. Martin grew up working on farms in the Soda Creek area and owned and operated a wholesale meat company delivering freezer packages of meat throughout BC and Alberta. Martin, Jessica and their 5 children have lived in Prince George since 2000. Martin has been a residential mortgage broker since 2005. In 2012, the opportunity opened to purchase a 350 acre land north of Prince George, so they brought home 4 gilts and a boar, and the rest is history! They currently breed sows to sell piglets in the spring, finish market hogs to sell at the 5 farmers’ markets, hay 180 acres and breed 150 ewes. Martin has served as a board member for 2 years and is currently the president of the Prince George Farmers’ Market, as well as a board member of Downtown Prince George. He also continues to be involved with volunteer positions within his church community.
I, along with my family, have been a part of the Quesnel Farmers Market since 1995 and the McLeese Lake Farmers Market since 2016. I, like so many other children, spent my youth growing up in a farmer’s market community. After graduation, I briefly left the market to pursue a BA in English, before returning to raise my family. I am heavily involved in my community and look forward to sharing my rural roots with my daughter. I am very invested in my local markets and therefore the BCAFM. I have experience as both executive and director positions with local community societies, as well as several other groups. One of my greatest strengths is as a generational ambassador within my aging farming community. I am hardworking, technologically capable, innovative and a problem solver.

 

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