Board

Tracey Smith

PRESIDENT
MEMBER-AT-LARGE REPRESENTATIVE

Tracy grew up on her family’s hay and cattle farm 30 minutes east of Edmonton. They have never used chemicals or sprays on their land. When she was in her twenties, she helped to start and run an organic food buying cooperative in Edmonton, Simplefoods, which operated for around two years. She served on the Organic Alberta board in 2004-2005, in the early days, back when it was called the Going Organic Network of Alberta. It was an eye-opening opportunity and she hopes to bring a lot more experience to the board this time around! Tracy started her company, Beanstalk Honey, in 2010. She is a self-sufficient beekeeper and produces honey without using antibiotics or chemicals.  It is very close to impossible to get organic certification status as a beekeeper, but she’s still working on it! She sells her honey at farmer’s markets in the Edmonton area. Tracy looks forward to serving on the Organic Alberta board and learning more about organic agriculture in our province.

Tracey Smith

Becky Doherty

VICE-PRESIDENT
MEMBER-AT-LARGE REPRESENTATIVE

Becky is a first-generation farmer and until recently focused on her career in Natural Resources working as a spatial modeller and analyst. She has a Bachelor of Science in Geography and is highly focused, detailed oriented and organized. In 2016, her and her husband along with their two young kids bought a farm and started Stonepost Farms. The farm quickly evolved into a direct marketing business focusing on providing nutrient dense foods including pasture raised meats, naturally grown produce, free range eggs and unpasteurized honey. The farm focuses on holistic and regenerative agriculture practices. Becky has a newfound passion in agriculture with a desire to promote education in regenerative agriculture. She now focuses fully on the farm and its direct marketing business. She looks forward to being able to apply her skills with Organic Alberta and to gain knowledge.

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Greg Wedman

TREASURER
SOUTHERN REGION REPRESENTATIVE

Greg grew up spending summers on his grandfather’s mixed grain and livestock farm. He had no idea at the time, but that was his first exposure to organic regenerative farming. After graduating from university, Greg spent the next 20 years living and working in the city. In 2009 he was able to place a down payment on a small piece of land southwest of Edmonton and thus began his career in organic farming. It’s been a sharp learning curve filled with many challenges and rewards – but a great journey. Greg believes that building soil health while growing healthy, nutrient-dense food is an attainable goal.

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Andrew Mans

DIRECTOR
SOUTHERN REGION REPRESENTATIVE

Andrew is an organic farmer growing field and greenhouse vegetables, cover crops and cereals near Coaldale, Alberta.  His passion lies in regenerative agriculture with the intent of having the farm produce healthy food while improving the soil and the farms ecosystem as a whole.  He feels that the regenerative approach to farming is sustainable, profitable and enjoyable.

Pierre Fillion

DIRECTOR
NORTHERN REGION REPRESENTATIVE

Pierre is a third generation farmer in Donnelly, AB and after high school joined the family farm that began in 1916. This farm had its start as a mixed farm but by this time had evolved into a conventional grain farm. At the age of 38, a diagnosis of cancer in the right eye became pivotal. Pierre sought the care of a naturopathic doctor to help reverse the condition that brought on the cancer. From this, he soon realized the close connection between human health and soil health and what clean, nutrient-dense food can do. Less chemical exposure for himself and his family also became important so all of this made compelling reasons to not only eat organic food but to farm organically too. The farm is now at three different stages with 20% organic, 20% transitioning and the rest to transition over a few years. Pierre now shares the joys and challenges of organic farming with his wife and with his two children, potentially fourth generation farmers.

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Dylan Joshua Edmiston

DIRECTOR
CONSUMER REPRESENTATIVE

Dylan has worked in the retail side of organic produce for over 20 years with most of it being at Community Natural Foods in Calgary. During this time, he has been purchasing organic produce direct from many farms across Alberta, British Columbia, and from organic produce distributors. He creates joy for himself and others by displaying the harvests that he helps bring to market from the farmers/pickers/packers both here in western Canada and across the globe.

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Daniel Wall

DIRECTOR
NORTHERN REGION REPRESENTATIVE

Although he was raised on a small farm – feeding hogs, driving tractors, chasing cattle and fixing fences, Daniel Wall never thought he would be a farmer. He saw the direction farming was going, with technology requiring large investment and huge farms choking out small ones, and he wasn’t interested. However, after working at various jobs and spending some time in post-secondary education, he picked up a book called “You Can Farm,” which outlined the need for small farmers from a food security, ecological, and health perspective. That book led to studies in regenerative agriculture, permaculture, horticulture, agronomy, and to the creation of a direct selling farm food business, starting with a market garden.

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Our Team

Iris Vaisman

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Iris got her introduction to organic agriculture at the OACC in Truro before travelling to the University of Manitoba to do her Master of Science (Plant Science) degree with Dr. Martin Entz, studying reducing tillage in organic systems. Following graduation, she continued to work with Dr. Entz on the organic wheat and oat breeding programs and the participatory plant breeding program. She also worked with Dr. Yvonne Lawley, also at the U of M, on both conventional and organic agronomy research, working with a range of crops.

Iris Vaisman started at Organic Alberta in 2015 as the Optimization Stream Manager for the Prairie Organic Grain Initiative, as well as Prairie Regional Coordinator for the Bauta Family Initiative on Canadian Seed Security. In this role, Iris worked to improve management practices, as well as the quality and quantity of organic grains on the prairies.

After the Prairie Organic Grain Initiative wrapped up, Iris transitioned into her new role as the Grain Program Manager, where she continued developing resources, tools, and learning opportunities for organic producers including the Participatory Plant Breeding program, farm clubs, CANOVI trials, and so much more.

Iris is taking on her next challenge as the Interim Executive Director of Organic Alberta. Iris’ knowledge, experience, and dedication to the Organic sector makes her the perfect candidate for the role. We are very excited to see the organization grow and thrive under her leadership.

Iris

Cari Hartt

COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR / FINANCE & OPERATIONS MANAGER

After graduating from MacEwan University with a degree in Communications majoring in professional writing, Cari Hartt joined the team in 2016 as Communications Coordinator for Organic Alberta and the Prairie Organic Grain Initiative. Cari discovered a great passion for the industry and has worked to develop communication and marketing strategies to reach Organic Alberta’s membership, consumers, and the general public. Cari also developed marketing and promotions strategies for the Prairie Organic Grain Initiative and coordinated the program’s marketing stream.

Two years ago, Cari took on the additional role of Administration and Bookkeeping. Cari fought a steep learning curve, but has learned to enjoy the tough work behind non-profit accounting. Cari is now stepping into her new role as Finance and Operations Manager of Organic Alberta, while also continuing her work as Communications Coordinator.

Cari Hartt

Sarah Preston

BAUTA INITIATIVE ON CANADIAN SEED SECURITY PRAIRIE REGIONAL COORDINATOR

Sarah is a lifelong plant nerd with a deep curiosity about the relationships between people and Land. Gardening and visiting her grandparents’ farm as a kid, apprenticing on a farm in BC, and eventually running her own CSA market garden and small apiary for a few years have given her a strong respect for farmers and a passion for supporting their work.

With certificates in food security, permaculture design, and Truth and Reconciliation, and a BA in Global and Development Studies with concentrations in Environmental Studies and Community Engagement from the U of A, Sarah enjoys working in regional food systems from many angles. Based near Edmonton, AB, she has been working with Organic Alberta since 2018 on projects including farm clubs, conferences, regenerative practices, and cover cropping. She is excited to continue working with Organic Alberta and now to join the Bauta Family Initiative on Canadian Seed Security as the new Prairie Regional Coordinator, supporting farmers from across the Prairies in all things seeds.

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Zachary Day

COMMUNICATION & MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR

Zach graduated from Grant MacEwan university with a Degree in Economics in 2021 and began working for Organic Alberta in 2023 as the Communication and Membership Coordinator. Zach’s interest in Alberta’s organic sector has grown immensely since starting work at Organic Alberta.

As the Communication and Membership coordinator Zach is working on managing and maintaining Organic Alberta’s membership list to foster a strong understanding of the local organic sector.

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Dana Penrice

YOUNG AGRARIANS PRAIRIE PROGRAM MANAGER

Dana strives to support inspired thinking and action in agriculture and rural communities. By thinking broadly and deeply about the systems upon which our society depends, Dana sees us better positioning the industry and our communities for the future. Dana’s work with the University of Alberta’s There’s a Heifer in Your Tank and with Leadership Edmonton has been foundational in developing her passion for creating resourceful, resilient, responsible and adaptive people. Dana’s formal education was in Animal Science, earning a B. Sc. from the U of A but her much-valued informal learning came from hanging out in chicken barns, working with horses and teaching kids (and teachers, parents, etc.) about agriculture. Her and her partner also run C & E Meats at Lacombe, Alberta. They believe that grazing livestock and poultry can heal our planet.

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Alex Pulwicki

YOUNG AGRARIANS CENTRAL ALBERTA COORDINATOR

Alex first forayed into agriculture when she joined (as a favour for a friend) the community garden club at the University of Calgary. The magical interplay of delicious vegetables, engaged community, and beautiful plants quickly wooed her into delving deeper into the world of growing food. Since then she’s volunteered at and toured numerous farms and continued to learn about the incredible networks of organisms that sustain us. Last summer she apprenticed with the Young Agrarians program at a mixed farm and has found a passion for small-scale dairy and cheese making. As part of the YA team, Alex is excited to help aspiring farmers find their passions and to support them as they embrace all the struggles and joys of farming.

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