Board of Directors

Elin Gwyn, recently retired from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness,  has over 25 years of experience supporting organizations, researchers, not for profit organizations, businesses, and governments with knowledge mobilization, research, training, evaluation, communications, engagement, and grant development and implementation.  Her focus is on encouraging people to collaborate and network to implement strategic, long-term solutions using communications, training, event planning, and stakeholder engagement skills to support organizations to have the information they need to find solutions.  Elin’s scope of work includes ecological agriculture and rural community development. Most recently Elin has focused on increasing Indigenous participation in funding programs through relationship building. She has a Master of Science from the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development and a BSc in Agricultural Sciences.

Becky Big Canoe is an accomplished AnishinaabeKwe mother, sustainable housing proponent, writer, artist, activist and powwow dancer. She lives on Georgina Island. She is actively involved in the Mno Aki Land Trust. Becky works with EFAO’s Indigenous Outreach and Engagement Steering Committee to support knowledge sharing events, mentorship and soil testing for Indigenous growers and communities. 

Isabelle is the owner and operator of Vintage Soil Farm, a horse (and woman) powered farm near Smiths Falls. Isabelle’s farming journey started with the idea of farming with a purpose. She prioritizes the use of draft horses, employs regenerative practices, and focuses on improving soil health to produce high quality produce. Isabelle attends markets in both Kingston and Ottawa, and also runs a 17-week CSA program with pickups in several locations throughout Eastern Ontario. Isabelle is a second-generation Canadian whose parents immigrated to Canada from Sri Lanka when they were children. Since 2015, she has received mentorship and training from strong, driven, successful female farmers in Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec.

Moving with her family from New Hamburg to Cambridge in 2016, Sarah Martin-Mills founded a nonprofit called Growing Hope Farm, which employed at-risk youth and other marginalized people. She was behind such creative revenue-earning offerings as goat yoga and lamb bottle-feeding! Proceeds from Growing Hope Farm went to the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), a global relief and development NGO. In 2023, Sarah and her family made the move to Creemore, ON, where she currently farms at The New Farm with former EFAO president Brent Preston and his partner Gillian Flies.

Mike Smith has worked in ecological agriculture for over 20 years. He worked at Ignatius Farm for 10 years leading their CSA and farm mentorship program and has a specialty in greenhouse production. Currently he runs the Guelph Centre for Urban Organic Farming at the University of Guelph. His formal education is in agricultural policy and project management. Mike has also acted as the EFAO’s conference photographer since the conference’s launch. 

Amy has been a researcher and evaluator for 10 years, working in the academic and private consulting sectors. She has a background in DEI work and is a social psychologist by training, although her passion for food sovereignty has led to her to a career that includes evaluation of food system projects, as well as hands on growing and educating. She teaches people to grow food through her social media channels, on YouTube, and in local consultations. She lives and grows in Guelph with her wife and two kids.

Sally Miller (MA/ PhD; MES), has worked in sustainable food and agriculture management, development and research for non-profits and co-ops for over thirty years. She was the founding and first Executive Director of the Fair Finance Fund, and previously worked with the Local Food and Farm Co-ops, Toronto Public Health, Wilfrid Laurier University, Ontario Natural Food Co-op, Organic Meadow, Fourth Pig Worker Co-op, West End Food Co-op in Canada, and Finger Lakes Organic Growers’ Co-op in the U.S. She has been on various Boards, including the board of the Ontario Co-operative Association, and Greenest City. Publications include Edible Action: Food Activism and Alternative Economics (Fernwood 2008); and Belongings: The Fight for Land and Food (Fernwood 2016) and numerous research reports.