People

Governance

The Centre for Sustainable Food Systems (CSFS) is an academic centre within UBC’s Faculty of Land and Food Systems. Operating as a core resource used by multiple disciplines, the Centre is supported by three governing committees. The respective mandates of these committees are governed by the principles described in Cultivating Place, the academic plan that serves as a guiding vision for the 24-ha South Campus site.

• The Operations Committee, which is led by the CSFS Director, oversees day-to-day activities on the farm site and meets weekly.
• The Cultivating Place Steering Committee manages long-term academic programming and significant site use planning for the CSFS. It is co-chaired by the CSFS Director (staff) and the Academic Director (faculty) and comprises members from numerous UBC faculties. It is joined by representatives from the Alma Mater Society and Friends of the UBC Farm.
• The UBC Farm anticipates forming a higher-level Advisory Committee for long-term strategic planning, visioning, and connection with the wider community.

UBC Farm Staff

A combination of professional and student staff members manages the overall operations of the farm, as well as academic programming, volunteer coordination, and community outreach. Many staff members are seasonal and support the farm’s summer programming, and the farm offers intensive internship opportunities through which UBC students can gain course credit.

Current staff include:

• Mark Bomford, Director (on-leave), mark.bomford@ubc.ca
• Amy Frye, Acting Director, amy.frye@ubc.ca
• Tim Carter, Field Manager, tim.carter@ubc.ca
• Andrew Rushmere,  Academic Coordinator, ubcfarm.learning@gmail.com
• Emily Carmichael, Community Engagement Coordinator, carmichael.emily@ubc.ca
• Natalie Yuen, Administrative Coordinator, ubcfarm.admin@gmail.com
• Andrea Morgan, Perennial Crops Coordinator, dre.sec@gmail.com
• Scott Bell, Practicum Field Instructor, scottfro@mail.ubc.ca
• DeLisa Lewis, Practicum Coordinator, delisa@mail.ubc.ca
• Kayla McIntyre, Marketing Coordinator, kayla.mcintyre@ubc.ca
• Jacob Slosberg, Poultry Project Coordinator, jacob.slosberg@ubc.ca
• Anelyse Weiler, Communications Coordinator, anelyse.weiler@ubc.ca
• Melanie Sylvestre, Cucurbit Coordinator, sylvestre.melanie@ubc.ca
• Angela Harrington, Perennial Crops Coordinator, angela.harrington@ubc.ca
• Hannah Lewis, Aboriginal Programs Liaison, ubcfarm.indigenous@gmail.com
• FarmWonders Summer Camp: farmwonders.volunteer@gmail.com
• School tours: ubcfarm.tour@gmail.com
• Event inquiries: ubcfarm.events@ubc.ca
• Direct sales inquiries: ubcfarm.directsales@gmail.com

Academic Collaborators

Much of the research project management and course instruction that takes place at the farm is performed by academic and professional users from a diverse range of faculties and departments at UBC.

• Dr. Andrew Riseman, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, UBC Farm Academic Director
• Dr. Alejandro Rojas, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, Associate Professor
• Dr. Eduardo Jovel, Faculty of Land Food Systems, Director of Indigenous Research Partnerships
• Dr. Maja Krzic, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, Associate Professor
• Dr. Judith Myers, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, Emeritus Professor
• Wayne Temple, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, Research Associate
• Roxana Quinde, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, Coordinator of Global Partnerships
• Martin Hilmer, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, Research Technician
• Greg Rekken, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, Master’s Student
• Dr. Jolie Mayer-Smith, Faculty of Education, Program Director of the Intergenerational Landed Learning Project
• Stacy Friedman, Faculty of Education, Landed Learning Project Coordinator
• Hannah Buschhaus, Faculty of Education, Landed Learning Garden Coordinator (On maternity leave)
• Tathali Urueta-Ortiz, Faculty of Education, Landed Learning Kitchen Coordinator
• Dr. Stephen Mitchell, Faculty of Forestry, Associate Professor
• William Koty, Continuing Studies, Director of Applied Degrees
• Michael Lathuilliere, College for Interdisciplinary Studies, Master’s Student
• Dr. Jean Marcus, UBC Sustainability Initiative, Associate Director of the Sustainability Teaching & Learning Office
• Brenda Sawada, Campus Sustainability Office, Manager of the SEEDS Program
• Liska Richer, Campus Sustainability Office, Coordinator of the SEEDS Program
• Dr. Shona Ellis, Faculty of Science, Manager of UBC Farm Medicinal Plant Garden
• Dr. Greg Baute, Faculty of Science, PhD Student
• Dr. Leonard Foster, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Centre for High-Throughput Biology, Assistant Professor
• Heather Turnbull, External, Legal & Community Relations, Faculty of Arts, Community Service-Learning Coordinator
• Alaya Boisvert, External, Legal & Community Relations, Faculty of Applied Science, Community Service-Learning Coordinator
• Dr. David Michelson, Faculty of Applied Science, Associate Professor
• Steve Golob, Place Vanier Dining Residence, Head Chef
• Nancy Toogood, Alma Mater Society, Food & Beverage Manager

Both in the delivery of specific projects and as a part of longer-standing collaborative initiatives and networks, the UBC Farm works with partners from the non-profit, private, and government sectors to deliver services to the wider community.