Our Team.
Sole Food Street Farms is an internationally recognized social enterprise that transforms vacant urban land into street farms. Our mission is to empower individuals with limited resources by providing jobs, agricultural training, and inclusion in a supportive community of farmers and food lovers.
Heather Farmer
Executive Director
Heather Farmer (yes, that’s really her last name!) became Executive Director in 2024 after serving as Program Director for three years, working closely with farmers and partners to strengthen the Sole Food’s employment and community engagement programs. With over a decade of experience in the local nonprofit sector, Heather brings a background rooted in harm reduction, climate action, and community building. She is committed to creating inclusive, low-barrier spaces where people can build skills and feel a sense of belonging. Inspired by community-led solutions, Heather believes in the power of food to connect people and foster meaningful change. Heather is currently on parental leave but has plans to return Spring 2027!
Kayla Dowd
Farm Operations Manager
Kayla Dowd is Sole Food’s Farm Operations Manager. They joined Sole Food at the start of the 2023 season after two years of vegetable growing at Macdonald Student-Run Ecological Gardens on McGill University’s agricultural campus. They are passionate about working towards food sovereignty in Vancouver and about the superior quality of a local tomato in the summer.
Laura Gordon-Mitchell
Sales and Program Manager
Laura stepped into the role of Program and Sales Manager in the Fall of 2025. Prior to this, Laura held a supervisor position at Sole Food and is thrilled to continue her work with the organization. She brings to the role an intimate knowledge of the farm and the community as well as a passion for food, social justice and community engagement. She is a graduate of the University of British Columbia with a degree in Environmental Geography and outside of her work she loves to bake and bike.
Mary-Clare Zak
Interim Executive Director
Mary Clare is no stranger to Sole Food. She brings more than four decades of dedicated public service, including senior leadership roles with the City of Vancouver and, most recently, Vancouver Coastal Health, where she led population health initiatives in partnership with non-profit and community partners. Her work has long championed food security, inclusive local economies, and meaningful community engagement. She brings a deep understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing urban agriculture. She’s already digging into the work — helping to plant the first seeds of the year
Christopher Torres
Sales and Processing Supervisor
Chris started as the Sales and Processing Supervisor in 2026. He is passionate about growing, cooking, and sharing food and has a background in both food security and architecture. When he's not farming, he can be found walking around the city, headphones on, headed to his community garden or his next coffee.
Nicole Nwokolo
Greenhouse and Market Supervisor
Nicole Nwokolo joined Sole Food as the Greenhouse and Market Supervisor in the spring of 2026, after completing the UBC Farm Practicum the year prior. Hailing from Toronto, she got her first taste of urban farming through the “New Farmer Training Program” at Sundance Harvest and realized she had to pursue this further. An avid lover of the arts, food, social justice, and picking up a new crafting hobby every week
Megan Beveridge
Senior Field Supervisor
In 2026, Megan will be heading into her 3rd season as a supervisor at Sole Foods. Her highlights so far have been getting to know the farm team, growing delicious produce, sharing meals together and hosting workshops throughout the seasons. She is grateful to share another season with Sole Foods before moving to Vancouver Island at the end of 2026. When she is not farming (which is rare these days), she loves to kayak, camp, look for birds and sew!
Marcia Thompson
Development Coordinator
Marcia served on the board of the Vancouver Farmers’ Markets Society, taught as a sessional lecturer in UBC’s Faculty of Land and Food System, and worked in the University’s Development Office for several years. As a fundraiser at UBC, Marcia was passionate about her work to help establish The Centre for Sustainable Food Systems at UBC Farm. Marcia holds an M.Sc. in Integrated Studies in Land and Food Systems from UBC.
