About Us

Colleen came to Victoria from Edmonton, Alberta in 2008 and quickly found employment at Square Root Farm/Saanich Organics and Share Organics, a former Victoria-based produce distributor. While she didn’t know it at the time, she can see now that she was setting a course in agriculture and local food distribution. Since then, she founded her own farm and also worked for Northstar Organics and Haliburton Farm. As the General Manager of the FarmHub, things have come full circle. "I am now in a position to help grow the businesses of those that help grow me,” she says.
 

She has been with the FarmHub since its inception in 2020, and does everything from onboarding and supporting producers to managing the box program to leading the future of the FarmHub. She is a bit of a coleslaw connoisseur, and also loves cats; she just got her first one, Fergus, three years ago, and has no idea how she has ever lived without him.

Originally hailing from Fort Nelson, a small town in Northern BC, Chelsey has lived all over BC and Alberta before settling in Victoria. She has a long working background in food, including at an organic grocery store and Share Organics, and as a farmhand at Colleen’s farm. After Share Organics closed, she has continued organizing an organic bulk buy program that supports farmers on Vancouver Island and in the Okanagan. 
 

She was the FarmHub’s first employee, and handles home and wholesale deliveries, as well as order preparation and payables/receivables. Chelsey is a music lover of all sorts, and also enjoys reading and going for summer swims with her daughter Shaye. 

Mariah was born and lived in Penticton for most of her life before moving to Victoria to study political science and environmental studies with a minor in applied ethics at the University of Victoria. It wasn't until she moved here that she started to really get into local food, and eventually geared her classes and field schools in that direction.

Mariah started as a food processing assistant for our sister hub, Kitchen Connect, and now covers all aspects of the ordering process: she meets the farmers at our aggregation site every Tuesday, packs and delivers wholesale orders, delivers home and wholesale orders, and creates and sends weekly FarmHub newsletters. She’s been loving finding ways to extend the life of local produce since starting at the FarmHub, and also enjoys cooking and sharing food with people, trying local restaurants, going to farmers markets, doing yoga, hiking, camping, and swimming.

Carly is a lover of all things food! If she could be any vegetable it would be a cabbage because she is layered and versatile. Carly comes to the team with a lifetime of experience working in hospitality, both front and back of house. She’s spent time cooking for hungry tree planters too!

When she’s not in the kitchen, Carly can be found teaching natural dye workshops, slingin’ her sustainable clothing line at markets, playing scrabble, and taking afternoon naps with her sweet old cat.

Bahareh is originally from Iran and holds a bachelor's degree in Engineering of Agricultural Economics and a master's degree in Agricultural Engineering-Agronomy. With around 8 years of experience in the agriculture industry, she is currently pursuing her second master's degree in environmental management at Royal Roads University. 

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She is excited to contribute to the Net Zero Food Hub Project, which aligns with her background in environmental management and agriculture. The focus on reducing carbon emissions and promoting sustainability especially resonates with her passion for environmental stewardship.

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Bahareh enjoys almost all Persian (Iranian) food, such as Northern stuffed fish, Zeyton Parvarde (Processed Olives), Anarbij, Chelow Kabab, Jeweled Rice and more.

Laura Gair joined the Capital Region Food and Agriculture Initiatives Roundtable (CRFAIR) in 2021, and is the Director of Food Security & Resource Development with Victoria Community Food Hub Society and CRFAIR. She was born and raised in southern Ontario/Haudenosaunee territory but has lived on the west coast for 15 years.  

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Prior to moving to the Island, Laura was involved in food systems collaboration with the South Vancouver Food Network and Vancouver Neighbourhood Food Networks, and led community-based food security and literacy programs with South Vancouver Neighbourhood House. 

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She studied Anthropology & Sociology at University of Guelph and International Nutrition at University of British Columbia, developing an appreciation for the interconnectedness of culture, land and food, and the importance of community driven initiatives. 

In her spare time, she can be found playing with her young child, snowboarding, practicing yoga, hiking, and enjoying the beautiful coastal life.

Heather grew up in a small town outside of Boston, lived in Montreal for six years, and moved to BC in 2021. Her background is originally in journalism and writing, including managing and writing for Google Travel projects and working as a beer writer. Her passion for food and volunteer work on farms led her to study Food Security through Ryerson University, and then to work at Heavenly Roots Farm on Salt Spring Island and Square Root Farm in Central Saanich. 

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Now she’s excited to put her diverse background to use at the FarmHub, writing about food and agriculture and engaging with the vibrant community here. Besides cooking and eating, she loves flowers, thrifting, and attempting to play various racquet sports. 

Chrissy has been working for community organizations for 20 years. She started out as a graphic designer, then worked as an event coordinator managing large community events. She upgraded her skills as a student of PR at UVic and obtained her Diploma in Public Relations. Chrissy loves to create, brainstorm and see how a project can be built from an idea to reality. In her spare time she enjoys singing and writing music.

Carolyn and Cyndy started volunteering for the FarmHub in December 2020. It was only supposed to be a three-month stint, but has since turned into many years. We are so grateful for their weekly help in the warehouse, weighing out produce items, preparing the subscription boxes, and packaging orders. We could not do this without them! Both Cyndy and Carolyn are also long-time volunteers for the LifeCycles Fruit Tree Project, gleaning fruit from trees around Victoria—Carolyn for over 25 years and Cyndy for more than 10 years. They are passionate about food, cooking, and supporting local farmers.