Dianne Dowling - Chair
Dianne is vice-president of National Farmers Union Local 316 (Counties of Frontenac and Lennox-Addington and City of Kingston), a group that has been active for several years working to restore the local food and farm system in this area. Dianne has been involved in these activities and in collaborations with other groups concerning food, farm and social justice issues. She was an elementary school teacher in Kingston and area for 32 years and, along with her son, operates an organic beef farm on Howe Island.
Tara Kainer
Tara has been an anti-poverty advocate with a particular interest in food security for over 20 years. Currently, she is employed by the Justice, Peace & Integrity of Creation Office of the Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul in Kingston, Ontario.
Cheryl Hitchen
Cheryl is Manager of Social Policy & Strategic Community Development for the City of Kingston. She has worked for the City of Kingston in a variety of social planning portfolios for the past 18 years. Previously, she was the Director of the Inter-Agency Council for Children in Kingston. She has a Bachelor of Social Work from Ryerson University, a Bachelor of Education and a Master of Public Administration degree from Queen’s University.
Rachael Mather, RD, BASc
Rachael is a Public Health Dietitian in the Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention Division at KFL&A Public Health. Rachael’s work activities focus on improving healthy food access among KFL&A area residents. Rachael completed her nutrition degree at the University of Guelph, and her internship through the Northern Ontario Dietetic Internship Program.
Sarah Keyes
Sarah has been working in food for over a decade. From 2014 to 2020 she coordinated and managed food literacy programs for Loving Spoonful, overseeing the growth and enhancement of community and school garden-based programs as they expanded to impact thousands of people each year. Sarah has also spent time in B.C. designing and facilitating critical food skills camps for youth, working on farms in South America, and coordinating community gardens. She grew up and studied on the east coast of Canada, completing her Masters of Environmental Studies in food systems at Dalhousie University.
Rupa Patel
Rupa is a family physician currently working at Kingston Community Health Centre and Queens University Department of Family Medicine. She has been a family doctor for 25 years and feels that healthy and accessible food is essential for one’s well-being. Both physical and mental health improve with a connection to real food, local food systems and eating with others. Food is medicine!
Bruce Higgs
Bruce retired from Industry in 2000. He's lived on Howe Island for 45 years. Born and raised on a farm near Dresden, Ontario, his father, grandfather and uncles were all farmers, growing; corn, soy beans, wheat, tomatoes and hay. Bruce currently holds the office of Deputy Mayor, Frontenac Islands, and is a Frontenac County Councillor.
Roger Romero
Roger Romero is a first generation Canadian who came to Canada as a refugee from El Salvador in the early 1980’s. His life and work experience fuels his passion for community building and equitable social development. Roger currently works with Kingston Community Health Centres and uses his education and life experience to support, coach and advocate for young people. Roger values the positive social impact created by a sustainable and accessible food network.
John Singleton
John is retired from 32 years of Government of Canada employment, having worked as a Retail Food Officer and Manufactured Food Inspector. With Consumer and Corporate Affairs Canada, Industry Canada, and Canadian Food Inspection Agency in Toronto, Belleville, Ottawa and other locations, he specialized in Consumer law enforcement. Married to Barbara, he has lived in Napanee for 37 years. He has one son, Dr. Thomas A. Singleton, who is married to Katie, and a Grandson, Benjamin Jack.
Neil Hobbs
I am a ‘nearly retired’ family doctor living with my wife Hazel in
Sydenham for 12 years. In 1987 I moved to Kingston to teach Family Medicine at Queen’s University, but in 2007 we decided a rural environment was more to our liking. Prior to 1987 we had lived and worked in Northern Labrador and Placentia, Newfoundland, and had originally come as landed immigrants from England in the 1970s.
My father and grandfather were great gardeners, and the apple never falls far from the tree, they say…There are many very interesting and important connections between medicine, gardening and food. Herbal medicine and the growth of healthy nutritious food are but two of them. I enjoy the breadth of discussion and activities of the Food Policy Council, and would recommend our organization to anyone interested in good growing and healthy eating, both ‘vital organs’ – pun intended! – in our society.