Our Mission
To organize conferences and trade shows for the prairie organic industry and to facilitate activities that enhance and promote the organic sector through education and awareness.
Our Vision
A vibrant connected organic community from the producer to the consumer.
Board of Directors
Marla Carlson BA, MSc
President
Marla Carlson has worked in the organic sector in Saskatchewan since 2006 and has been an organic consumer since the mid-1990’s. Her passion for organic food and farming has grown as her involvement in the sector has deepened. Marla has been working for SaskOrganics since 2014 and in the Executive Director role since February 2016. In her leadership role, she is always looking for innovative ways to fulfil the organization’s mission to cultivate a healthier world for the benefit of all through organic food and agriculture. Before moving back to Saskatchewan, Marla lived in England and worked for Bristol City Council as their first Democratic & Statutory Services Manager.
In addition to Marla’s role with SaskOrganics, she is President of Organic Connections – the largest organic farming conference in Western Canada and is a member of the kwayēskastasowin wâhkôhtowin Steering Committee (Prairie Food System Vision Network), a Rockefeller Foundation Food Systems Top Visionary Prize winner, a thirty-year project with a vision to decolonize the food system on the Canadian Prairies. She is also a member of the Food Systems Game Changers Lab’s Elevating Indigenous Knowledge Cohort. Most recently Marla has taken on a position with the Prairie Organic Development Fund managing the Canadian Organic Ingredient Strategy project.
Jennifer Bromm
Vice-President
As the daughter of an organic farmer I spent a big part of my childhood on a tractor or in a grain truck. After leaving home I completed a degree in Environmental Sciences and struggled to find work that was meaningful to me. In 2005 I secured a job with Brenda Frick at the Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada doing organic research. It was during my time with Brenda that I first became a part of the Organic Connections board. I took a break from working in 2007 after having my first child. It wasn’t until 2012 that I rejoined the work force as a client services representative for Ecocert and now a mother of 2 children. Shortly after starting back to work I was asked to sit on the board for Organic Connections. I enjoy all the work I do for organics in Saskatchewan and I am very thankful for the organic childhood I was provided on our family farm. It really influenced me to become the person I am now.
Janet Galarneau
Secretary/Treasurer
Janet Galarneau is passionate about everything organic. Together with her husband, they manage an organic farm operation. She has worked in the agriculture industry for over 25 years. With an accounting background, she started off becoming involved in the agriculture industry working at an agriculture lender. As of now, Janet works at Prairie Heritage Seeds as the Organic Liaison Officer. Prairie Heritage Seeds is a Canadian family run business, promoting the benefits of organic food and agriculture for the last four decades. Prairie Heritage Seeds has a state of the art processing facility, offers logistics and quality assurance with their lab. Supplying grain for the domestic and international market place, Prairie Heritage Seeds main commodity is Kamut®. The company also supplies lentils, flax, peas, and feed grains. Janet sits on a few boards the Prairie Organic Development Fund for the Prairie’s and Organic Connections.
Denis Brodner
Director
Denis and Vonnie live in the Dysart area near where Denis grew up on a mixed farm. They have three grown children and one granddaughter.
Since purchasing the farm in 1974 Denis has managed it organically. It wasn’t until the mid 1980’s when we first certified the land as organic. After working in the retail industry for 23 years he decided to further his education and took Inspector training through the distance education course at the Assiniboine College. Since 2000 he has been an Independent Organic Inspector inspecting throughout Canada for a number of Certifying bodies.
During his years involved in the organic industry, Denis has served on various organic boards including Saskatchewan Organic Directorate, OCIA, and is currently on the OCIA Research and Education Board.
Denis always looks forward to seeing every one at the Organic Connections Conference.
Lisa Mumm
Director
Lisa Mumm was raised on her family’s organic seed and sheep farm, and is a fourth generation farmer. She is passionate about everything organic, from seeds and soil to education and awareness. Together with her parents, Jim & Maggie Mumm, she runs the family farm and business, Mumm’s Sprouting Seeds. When Lisa isn’t growing seed in the field, selling seed from the office, or sprouting seed into sprouts and microgreens, she loves gardening, and wild harvesting, and spending time with her horses.
She works with the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network in its efforts to stop GM Alfalfa, and is a member of the Organic Agriculture Protection Fund Committee of SaskOrganics. Lisa is also a member of the Organic Value Chain Roundtable, serves on the board of the Canada Organic Trade Association, and sits on the Plant Breeder’s Rights Advisory Committee. She has served on the Organic Connections board since 2012, and loves helping to put on fun, educational, and inspiring events.
Wendy Ziehl
Director
Wendy joined Organic Connection’s board in 2016. Her and her husband have been actively farming organically since 2004. She has also been organic inspector for nearly 15 years. Wendy completed a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture (with Honours) in 1995 and a Master of Science in 2000, both at the University of Saskatchewan. After completing these degrees, Wendy worked for several research groups including the Native Fruit Development Program and the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers. She managed a variety of value-added research projects for innovative Saskatchewan companies, working with cereal grains and specialty crops. Teaching has also been Wendy’s passion having been a sessional lecturer for the University of Regina and instructing laboratories at the University of Saskatchewan. As a producer, educator, and inspector Wendy has enjoyed promoting the organic industry. She looks forward to continued involvement with Organic Connections as the organic industry evolves.
Advisors
Marion McBride
Advisor
Marion with her husband Ray, have farmed at Moosomin since 1991 where they own a third generation farm. Since being involved in agriculture and organics in particular, Marion has served in a variety of capacities on Boards, Committees and Task Forces in addition to various positions promoting and supporting the organic industry after she retired in 2009 from working in Regina Public Schools as an Educational Assistant for 19 years.
She is currently an independent auditor for Agricultural Justice Project (AJP) and she is a member of the Organic Value Chain Round Table (OVCRT) and Grains Round Table (GRT). Since 2010 Marion has held the position of Municipal Rep for Moosomin RM for the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS) and works on 3 Committees there in addition to having been involved in mentoring for APAS for two years and for TransCanada Organic Certification Services (TCO) last year where Marion had been Past President and Chair.
McBrides have four grown children and four grandchildren. Past positions of note for Marion are Media Coordinator for the Saskatchewan Organic Directorate where she helped to create Dining with the Stars, a 13 part television series, a half time position with Farmer Direct and the Event Coordinator for Organic Connections from 2011- 2015.
Dunling Wang, PhD, PAg
Advisor
Dunling is the Provincial Specialist, Alternative Cropping Systems and works at the Crops and Irrigation Branch of the Ministry of Agriculture in Regina. His major responsibility is to provide advice and technical supports to alternative cropping systems, particularly, the growth of organic agriculture in Saskatchewan. His expertise includes soil fertility management, crop rotation, and organic crop production.
Dunling was raised in China. He obtained his BSc degree in soil science from Nanjing Agricultural University, and received his MSc and PhD from Department of Soil Science at the University of Saskatchewan. Previously, Dunling worked as a research program manager at the Research Branch and managed the research work in areas of soil, environment, horticulture and alternative crops. Before that, Dunling was a research scientist at the National Research Council Canada, where he led a water research group to study water treatment and quality monitoring in municipal infrastructures, including drinking water distribution systems, storm water retention ponds and wastewater treatment facilities.
Trina Waronek
Advisor
Trina and her husband Troy have an organic grain farm at Rockglen, SK. She grew up in the area and attended the University of Saskatchewan receiving her Bachelor of Arts degree and the University of Regina where she received a Bachelor of Education degree. Trina lived and taught school in northern Alberta for two years, she and Troy then returned to Rockglen to farm and decide organics was the best choice for them. They very much enjoy the farm lifestyle and see many exciting possibilities in organic farming. Trina is a substitute teacher which enables her to spend more time at home with her three young children.
Staff
Carla Borsa, PAg
Event Coordinator
Carla grew up on a mixed cow/calf and grain operation in northeast SK and obtained a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from the University of Saskatchewan. She has served on the Board of Directors with Canadian Western Agribition for 8 years chairing the Education, 4-H, Livestock and Scholarship areas. As a past 4-H member and leader she enjoys giving back to the program through judging and volunteering.
Carla operates Prairie Ag Business Management with more than 10 years experience working with non-profits and companies in the agriculture industry specializing in project, event and administrative management services. She resides near Waldheim, SK where together with her husband and 2 daughters run a small herd of cattle and flock of commercial sheep.