FARM FRESH ONTARIO - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Amy and her husband, Channing are the second generation at the Strom's Farm & Bakery. The farm harvests corn and…
Brian Arnold and his family are the owners and operators of Thunder Ridge Bison Company, in Uxbridge, ON, in the Oak Ridges Moraine..
Brian started his farm business in 2015 and has worked vigorously to learn the history of bison, the benefits of bison farming to the land, and the health benefits of including bison in your diet.
Darlene and her husband, Nathan operate Downey's Farm Market and Estate Winery in Caledon, ON. Darlene is the fourth generation to operate the family farm that dates back to 1920.
Darlene and Nathan are committed to growing fresh fruit and vegetables using sustainable farming practices, and educating guests about agriculture while having lots of fun along the way.
They renovated their dairy barn to house a farm market with fresh Ontario fruits and vegetables, homemade preserves, honey, maple syrup, and in-house bakery. In 2001, the addition of Downey's Estate Winery was opened.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Owner of the Howell Family Pumpkin Farm
Jerry has been a contributing board member of Farm Fresh Ontario for several years.
Jerry Howell is the owner of the Howell Family Pumpkin Farm in Fonthill, ON. Throughout the summer Howell's offers a…
Job Titles:
- Treasurer of the Board of Directors
- Treasurer for Our Farm Fresh Ontario Board
Jessica is the Treasurer for our Farm Fresh Ontario Board for the current year. Jessica lives and works on the family farm, Oakridge Acres, in Ayr, Ontario.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- Executive Director
- Executive Director and Secretary to the Board
Kevin Vallier is the Chief Executive Officer of Farm Fresh Ontario, and the Secretary to the Board of Directors.
Kevin has an extensive background in marketing, public relations, teaching and publishing. Prior to becoming executive director in 2021, Kevin handled public relations in health care, theatre, conservation and industry. He began an independent on-line newspaper in Niagara, and taught at the community college level.
Since joining Farm Fresh Ontario, Kevin has worked on a re-branding, increased communications, an enlarged social media awareness, and imaginative new programming for members.
Kevin Vallier is the Executive Director of Farm Fresh Ontario, and the Secretary to the Board of Directors. Kevin has…
Meghan Snyder owns and operates Snyder's Farm in Bright, ON. Snyder's Farm offers a farm experience throughout the fall and…
Melinda and her husband Don McArthur are the fourth generation to operate Heatherlea Farm. Their market opened to the public…
Paul Baxter is the current generation operating Baxter's Bakery, with their head office in Toronto.
Baxter Bakery creates home-baked products from family recipes that are sold at multiple locations in Ontario. They too create the world's best butter tarts!
As a family owned and operated business, Baxter's is proud that all their baked goods use natural ingredients.
Thomas Wilson and his wife, Nicole, operate Spirit Tree Estate Cidery in Caledon, ON. They bought their farm property in 2005, inheriting hundreds of wild apple trees. Over the next years they planted over 5,000 additional apple trees of 15 different varieties.
In 2009 they built their main building, featuring a wood-fired oven. From that oven they produce several popular, thin-crust pizza, that are available every Thursday through Sunday.
Thomas served as Chair of the Board of Farm Fresh Ontario in 2021/22 and 2022/23 and was responsible for the re-branding and extended marketing of FFO and a revitalization of the programs available to members.