All projects are community-based. We seek direction from our broad community partners. We solicit feedback through our project advisory/ steering committees and through the monthly newsletter. All members are invited to meet formally once a year and provide feedback into the work of Just Food. Overall direction comes from the Board, with staff input.
Just Food engages in food policy conversations at many levels. Just Food is a member of Food Secure Canada and Sustain Ontario. We also provide strategic and logistical support to the Ottawa Food Policy Council.
Board of Directors
Want to talk with the Board? Board@justfood.ca
Alex Camenzind (Chair)
Alex is a lawyer living and working in Ottawa, after having spent time across Canada in Northern BC, Vancouver Island, and Alberta. Alex enjoys cooking with local food from Ottawa’s farmer’s market and CSA farms, alongside whatever he can coax out of his back garden. He also enjoys hiking, camping, and spending time outdoors. Through Just Food, Alex works to advance food security, help people understand and access local food options, and spread awareness for how local food fits into the broader provincial and national picture.
Danielle Daviau (Treasurer)
Danielle Daviau is a dedicated advocate for sustainable food systems and community development with a strong commitment to creating safe spaces for growing organic, nutritious food. She holds credentials in Environmental Technician and Environmental Studies from Algonquin College, providing her with a deep understanding of environmental issues and sustainable practices. At the Debra Dynes Family House, Danielle successfully coordinated their community gardens, connecting children and families with fresh produce, enhancing their overall well-being. She is passionate about the broader benefits of food growing, including mental health improvement, creating a safe and accessible opportunities for teaching children, and fostering community connections. Danielle’s experience in managing volunteers and her proficiency with digital tools make her a valuable asset to community-driven initiatives. Her dedication to equity and inclusivity drives her efforts to address barriers faced by diverse communities in Ottawa.
Fiona Glaettli (Secretary)
Fiona Glaettli is a food activist, chef and farm worker. In 2014, they co-founded Zurich’s first food distribution grassroots movements, Foodsharing, where they worked with businesses, authorities, volunteers, farmers, NGO’s and social service organizations to build a network of collecting and redistributing food that would have otherwise gone to waste. In 2022, Fiona graduated with a Masters degree from the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Italy and relocated to Canada. Fiona has since then moved from the kitchen to the field, and seeks to increase valorization of local, clean and fair food here in the capital through storytelling, networking and community building.
Meagan McVeigh
Meagan McVeighMeagan McVeigh works as a Director of Programs for the University of Ottawa Student’s Union. Meagan has a Bachelor of Social Work degree from Toronto Metropolitan University and a Post Graduate Diploma in Policy and Program evaluation from Carleton University. Her skills are centralized in Program development and evaluation. Meagan has worked in community based program management and development for the past 10 years beginning at Parkdale Food Centre where she managed and developed youth programs focused on social and emotional skills building using social enterprise and solutionary thinking as tools to engage youth. Meagan has experience in entrepreneurship going through JUST FOOD FARM start up farmer program in 2017. Her favourite things to grow are heirloom tomatoes, cucumber and Arugula. The perfect summer Salad.
Bruce Wood
A chef and longtime supporter of community food systems, Bruce works within the local food community and aims to bring a broad knowledge of Ottawa’s food community to assist the public in understanding the importance of local, sustainable food.
Jeffrey Heynen
A federal public servant working with Environment and Climate Change Canada, Transport Canada, the Privy Council Office and Global Affairs Canada. Jeff has focussed on environmental and food sustainability issues such as the Integrated Climate Lens pilot project, ensuring that environmental and climate implications were better considered throughout Cabinet decision-making. He and his wife enjoy growing vegetables in raised garden beds on the their front lawn and dreaming about operating a hobby farm some day.
Jerrica Gilbert
A Planner at the City of Ottawa working with development applications in the rural areas of the municipality, Jerrica comes from an agricultural background in Southwestern Ontario, and they have been interested in the intersections of food and power for some time. Jerrica has been on the Toronto Youth Food Policy Council, and has had experience leading community gardens in both paid and volunteer positions in the cities of Toronto, Mississauga and Sault Ste. Marie.
Katie Rosa
As a federal public servant working in the area of environmental and Indigenous rights, Katie is focussed on the development of strong community, cultural, and regional sustainability initiatives. Katie is passionate about food and looking to advance Ottawa’s local food sustainability and agricultural supports.
Michelle Roberts
A data analyst in the federal public service with an academic background in economic development and statistics, Michelle’s work has focussed on a range of issues including housing and homelessness policy, agricultural risk management programs, community-owned renewable energy projects, and environmental impact assessments. Michelle looks to draw upon policy and governmental implementation experience to assist Just Food.
Our Team
Moe Garahan, Executive Director
Moe has been working on food and farming issues since 1995. Focused on community development and community economic development approaches, she has facilitated the establishment of many ongoing community and regional food initiatives, (including Just Food) while supporting provincial and coast-to-coast-to-coast food systems change (presently includes Sustain Ontario, Food Communities Network and Common Ground Network). Since 2004, she has been the Executive Director of Just Food, working with teams to integrate food access and food localism within the mixed urban and rural settings of the Algonquin/Ottawa region.
Kate Veinot, Food Systems Planner (Neighbourhood & Community Solutions)
Kate’s background in food systems work has stemmed from years of small business experience in the food industry in Algonquin/Ottawa, and from being a longtime home-based food grower. Their studies in Issues in Urban Agriculture through the University of Guelph, and BSc in Political Science from University of Toronto, led them to get more involved in food justice and community development. Kate’s focus when it comes to their own gardening practices is on building soil health through low-till or no-dig methods, and promoting the importance of native species to support our pollinator friends. Their passion project is turning their front yard garden into an edible landscape with the help of their avid gardener kiddo!
Sara is a gardening enthusiast and community builder who loves interacting with people. She holds a B.A in Political Science and has a professional background in: healthcare, e-commerce and education. As the Public Engagement Coordinator at Just Food, she wears many hats as an administrator, collaborator and primary contact for all inquiries. In her spare time, Sara enjoys making hair products, telling jokes and remixing recipes.Noel Dhingra, Farmer Education and Support Coordinator
Noel is a first generation farmer who sees food and the act of growing it as an intersection between healthy environments and resilient communities. He first took action in this area with Community Food Centres Canada, where he developed and delivered programming which highlighted food as both a social justice issue and an influence on personal and community health. Now, he seeks to increase access to regenerative agricultural practices and the dialogue around them so that more people can understand and participate in their local food systems.
He co-founded Cadence Ecological Farm as part of the Just Food Start Up Farm Program. Cadence established itself as a mentor farm and delivered a paid youth internship program hiring marginalized young Canadians.
Noel currently sits on the board of the Hudson Food Collective and runs Grickle Grass Farm, where he and his partner grow food organically and do their best to steward a small slice of Eastern Ontario.
Noel has returned to Just Food in the role of Farmer Education and Support Coordinator, where he works to support and empower new farmers in eastern Ottawa.
Julia Sterling is a climate change and social justice professional with experience in program development, socio-environmental research and facilitation. As a recent graduate from the Institute of political economy at Carleton University, her research compared Canada‘s COVID-19 versus climate response to reimagine what is possible for ambitious climate action in Canada. Julia is a strong believer in exploring diverse entry points to engagement in critical climate issues, particularly through the unifying entry point of food, and experiential education. At Just Food, Julia engages children and youth in issues in our food system through fun and engaging hands-on activities. She also empowered youth to enact change by building capacity to engage in municipal food policy issues through training and mentorship opportunities.
