Project Manager

Jennifer is currently the Executive Director of the Ontario Co-operative Association (OCA) and is responsible for the Project Management of LFFC. She is an advocate for, a promoter of, and connector within the co-operative movement. She began her co-operative career with OCA in 2009 supporting core administrative and financial functions while building strong relationships with members and other key stakeholders. She has also supported co-operative development, governance, legislation and advocacy work. Jennifer is a graduate of the Fundamentals of Co-operative Organizations Program from the Schulich School of Business and pursued post-secondary education in non-profit management. She has worked in administrative roles for a number of different non-profits both locally and internationally and feels fortunate that her career has led her to the co-operative sector.

NFDN/Northwest Regional Coordinator

Jessica Cherry is the NFDN/Northwest Regional Coordinator for Local Food and Farm Co-ops. Jessica is a native of Nova Scotia, moving to Sault Ste. Marie in 2019. She has over a decade of experience in the local food and beverage industry, working in food service, food and beverage management, and food processing. Through her food and beverage experience in Nova Scotia's rural communities and work at the Rural Agri-Innovation Network and the Fair Finance Fund, she has developed a passion for creating meaningful connections across the agri-food and food sectors, and helping building sustainable local food systems in Ontario.

Communications/Southern Regional Coordinator

My name is Michelle and I am the Communications & Southern Regional Coordinator. I want to acknowledge working on the traditional land of Huron-Wendat, Haudenosaunee, Petun, Anishnaabeg, and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nations. I believe it is important to be part of a collective remembering of Canada’s on going colonial legacy on First Nations.

I have experience in managing a local good food market and serving on the board of the Et Al co-op café. My master's research project focused on local food, and I am passionate about building sustainable local food systems to address climate change. I hold a master's degree in environmental studies, and my paper "Decolonizing local food culture: revisiting cookbooks for anticolonial praxis," was included in York's Outstanding Graduate Student paper series.

NFDN/Northeastern Coordinator

My name is Johanna Mercedes. I am the Northern Foodways Development Networks Northeastern Coordinator. I am available to support the districts of Algoma, Sudbury, Cochrane, Timiskaming, Nipissing, and Manitoulin with business technical support, value chain coordination, and food hub development innovation to uplift local food systems.

I am a mother, and affordable sustainable healthy food access is extremely important for me to provide for my child and future generations in unison with the land. I have lived experience with the inequities of accessing affordable and fresh food in the north and the importance of community relations to build resilience. I have an Environment and Business degree from the University of Waterloo, and my background is in youth capacity building, education, and start-up business development specifically within marginalized communities. It is an honor to work alongside a diverse team of value-driven leaders.