Meet the CFRB Team
DANIELLE LEIGH, Founder/Director
This project began with the strong inclination that everything to make it happen was fully aligned. It was simply time. I am passionate about all things that take action from an eco-conscious and humanitarian standpoint. Sacred Activism is core for myself and my family. The health of the planet equates to the health of us all. And as the saying goes, if you haven't got your health, you haven't got anything!
All three of my children have been born and raised in Canmore, and we are very involved in sustainability and raising awareness within our community. We firmly believe in thinking, planning and acting for seven generations ahead of ourselves. Many thanks to our suppliers, to our community, and to the CFRB members that have stepped forward with equal passion in order to allow this initiative to lift off and take flight.
All three of my children have been born and raised in Canmore, and we are very involved in sustainability and raising awareness within our community. We firmly believe in thinking, planning and acting for seven generations ahead of ourselves. Many thanks to our suppliers, to our community, and to the CFRB members that have stepped forward with equal passion in order to allow this initiative to lift off and take flight.
CHRISTIN CHOMA, Volunteer Shift Leader
I moved to Canmore from Salt Lake City, Utah, in June 2017, and started volunteering at the Food Recovery Barn that July. The amount of food wasted by our society has always bothered me, and now I can actually do something about it on a local scale. The Food Recovery Barn has become a significant part of my life, and I'm so pleased that our collective efforts help many people here in Canmore.
Volunteering at The Barn has also made me think about our dependency on farmers, their dependency on healthy soils to feed their crops with minimal use of chemicals, and our need to minimize destructive farming practices. This led me to become deeply involved in a regenerative agriculture project in rural Nepal (a country I have strong ties with), where most farmers have tiny plots that barely provide enough food for their own families.
We're working with Nepali farmers to stop the use of chemicals and farming techniques that destroy the soil microbiome, and instead use approaches that rebuild the soil's fertility and microbial diversity, growing more and healthier crops. To think that I would probably never have gotten involved with this farming project if not for my involvement with the Food Recovery Barn...
Volunteering at The Barn has also made me think about our dependency on farmers, their dependency on healthy soils to feed their crops with minimal use of chemicals, and our need to minimize destructive farming practices. This led me to become deeply involved in a regenerative agriculture project in rural Nepal (a country I have strong ties with), where most farmers have tiny plots that barely provide enough food for their own families.
We're working with Nepali farmers to stop the use of chemicals and farming techniques that destroy the soil microbiome, and instead use approaches that rebuild the soil's fertility and microbial diversity, growing more and healthier crops. To think that I would probably never have gotten involved with this farming project if not for my involvement with the Food Recovery Barn...
VALERIE PISSOT, Volunteer Shift Leader
Born and raised in Utah. Married my husband Jim 45 years ago on full moon of July. Received a degree in Business at George Washington University, Washington, D.C. Was an administrator at Yale University, School of Medicine, Department of Surgery. The Department has 12 sections (i.e. neurosurgery, cardiovascular surgery, pediatric surgery, etc.) Also has 12 corresponding research labs, 100 residents, and about the same number of medical students, 600 physicians. An enormous department and I juggled a lot of balls. Most stayed in the air! I loved working there.
Moved to Canmore 20 years ago. Jim was hired to work on wildlife issues (in behalf of) (i.e. roads and wildlife.) Part of the team developing designs for overhead passes for example. His mother was Canadian and so easily got his citizenship. I got mine about 15 years ago. Yea!
While here, worked for the Luxton Foundation working on their historic gardens for six years until recently. (I have a United States certificate as a master gardener.) Over the years, while in Canmore, have volunteered at the hospital, library, thrift store, and various sporting events. AND, here I am now at the Barn too. For many years I have been a recycler of all things and a composter of food scraps. The Canmore Food Recovery Barn represents minimizing food waste by rescuing and keeping good unsold food out of the landfill, and then making it available to others in the community. Volunteering with this dedicated creative group was a natural for me.
Moved to Canmore 20 years ago. Jim was hired to work on wildlife issues (in behalf of) (i.e. roads and wildlife.) Part of the team developing designs for overhead passes for example. His mother was Canadian and so easily got his citizenship. I got mine about 15 years ago. Yea!
While here, worked for the Luxton Foundation working on their historic gardens for six years until recently. (I have a United States certificate as a master gardener.) Over the years, while in Canmore, have volunteered at the hospital, library, thrift store, and various sporting events. AND, here I am now at the Barn too. For many years I have been a recycler of all things and a composter of food scraps. The Canmore Food Recovery Barn represents minimizing food waste by rescuing and keeping good unsold food out of the landfill, and then making it available to others in the community. Volunteering with this dedicated creative group was a natural for me.
HEATHER TKACZ, Volunteer Shift Leader
I was Born and raised in Saint John, New Brunswick, and have my Physiotherapist degree from McGill University. I Transferred to Vancouver in 1977, raised two children, and retired from physiotherapy. I then returned to work in a pharmacy in their Ostomy Care Department. I then retired (again) and moved to Canmore in 2018 to be near grandchildren/ family.
As a long time member of CFUW ( Canadian Federation of University Women) I have been involved with and interested in Food Security, Composting, Earth Gardens, Greenhouse Light Pollution, and Sustainable Energy. So it was an obvious thing to become involved with the Canmore Food Recovery Barn Program. We are a wasteful, throw away society. This must change.
As a long time member of CFUW ( Canadian Federation of University Women) I have been involved with and interested in Food Security, Composting, Earth Gardens, Greenhouse Light Pollution, and Sustainable Energy. So it was an obvious thing to become involved with the Canmore Food Recovery Barn Program. We are a wasteful, throw away society. This must change.