Board Committees
Committee Name | Description | Chair | Members |
Executive | This group is tasked with the overall maintenance and health of the organization including upkeep of records, oversight of financial transactions & cash flow, board recruitment, and orientation. | Tom Manley | Sarah Bakker (HR), Mary Wales, Lindsay Derat |
Policy | The policy committee works to establish OCO’s position on various government policies and develop proposals on issues such as an Ontario Organic Regulation. | Bill Redelmeier | Joel Aitken, Derek Beishuizen, Mary Wales, Ralf Thorsten Arnold, Carolyn Young |
Regulatory Affairs | This committee liaises with the Organic Federation of Canada, the Canada Food Inspection Agency, and certifying bodies that enforce the Canadian Organic Standard. It ensures that Organic Council members are knowledgeable of changes to the standards and that their interests and input are incorporated into regulations and standards that affect and protect organic. | Simon Jacques | Derek Beishuizen, Rob Wallbridge, Carolyn Young |
Outreach | This group is in charge of managing the upkeep of the OCOs various communications channels, strategies and projects. This includes events, the website, E-News & social media, as well as the upkeep of membership records and membership recruitment. | Rob Wallbridge | Joel Aitken, Sarah Grant, Sarah Bakker, Roman Palawiuk, Carolyn Young, Laura Northey |
Fundraising | The committee oversees the various ways in which OCO raises operational funding. This includes the Participant Contribution Plan, grants, and annual fundraising campaigns. | Carolyn Young | Andrew St. Jean, Mary Wales, Lindsay Derat, Tom Manley, Carolyn Young, Laura Northey, Sarah Bakker |
Other Working Groups
Check-Off Working Group
This working group is tasked with developing and managing the Production Contribution Program (voluntary check-off) and overseeing OCO’s work towards establishing a mandatory organic check-off within the province.
Member Name | Affiliation |
Andrew St. Jean | Beechwood Agri Services |
Anahida Belanger | Belanger Farms |
Alvaro Venturelli | Plan B |
Ted Soudant | FieldGate Organics |
Bill Van Ness | DFO organic subcommittee |
Stew Slater | DFO organic subcommittee |
Julia Buchan | ONFC |
Michael DiPierro | UNFI Canada |
Gerald Poechman | Poechman Farms |
Marshall King | Organic Meadows |
Vincent Strickland | Pfennings Organics |
Jenn Pfenning | Pfennings Organics |
Robert Kuenzlen | Mike and Mike’s |
Tom Manley | Homestead Organics |
Roger Rivest | Roger Rivest Marketing |
Leia Weaver | Roger Rivest Marketing |
Rob Wallbridge | Thompsons Ltd. |
Rita Felder | Field Farms Marketing |
James Sculthorpe | Yorkshire Valley |
Maureen Kirkpatrick | The Big Carrot |
Ali English | EFAO |
Sarah Bakker | NFU |
Peggy Bailey | Local Organic Food Coops |
Wayne Adams | COG |