Who We Are

The EGP is a project of the North Shore Neighbourhood House, and works with a wide range of groups on the North Shore from local government and health authorities to non-profit community groups as well as local social service providers, community members and local businesses.

Heather Johnstone, Manager

“I started out with an office job and quickly realized it wasn’t feeding me. That summer I volunteered on an organic farm on Vancouver Island.  I loved the hands-on work, I loved selling at the market and talking to people. Really, I never laughed so hard. That’s what got me.

There’s so much dire news and it can feel futile to take action. But growing food is a great way to engage people, and is such a tangible way to make change. I see it happen again and again at the Edible Garden Project. Growing and sharing food is fun. That’s at the centre of what we do and how we make a difference.”

Emily Jubenvill, Community Coordinator

“I was in school and we were challenged by our professor to bring a “good news story” to class. We all balked, there was no good news! But I dug in and started researching and discovered the amazing world of urban agriculture. Here it was, a way to make a difference.  I started my first garden at a community garden, started volunteering a lot. I still volunteer a lot.

Most of our volunteers start out wanting to learn more about growing food- it’s about learning how to take care of themselves.  But many people discover it’s fun to work with others. They have this really positive experience of community and how rewarding it can feel to contribute back.  That’s the juice for me.”

Gavin Wright, Loutet Farmer

“If I sat down and wrote a description of my dream job a year ago it would look like this one!

I got interested in community food systems while I was at school. This led to my first job at UBC Farm where I did outreach, coordinated volunteers and events. On the side I got excited about  cob-building and discovered how much I loved learning and teaching hands-on skills. Eventually I jumped in and started farming near Pemberton. Two years later we’d built a successful farm but I was missing the community connection. Back in the city I’ve discovered the perfect blend: I’m an urban farmer.”

Jason Mertz, Education Coordinator

Jason is a father of two children and many plants. When he is not trying to figure out how to grow more arugula and potatoes, he can often be found on the monkey bars with his daughter. After teaching for many years in the States, Jason immigrated to Vancouver with his wife in 2009. You can often find him riding his bike around with his family and admiring the many ways people are growing food in the city.