The people behind the Trust

Our Trust is guided by a dedicated team of locally elected volunteer directors representing the diverse regions of central and northern British Columbia.

Our team

Michelle Miller

  • Born and raised on a family farm in Prince George, British Columbia, Michelle’s connection to farming began early and continues today as an aspiring farmer growing garlic and vegetables. She serves as president of the Mud River Beaverly Farmers’ Institute and has been involved with the District C Farmers’ Institute for the past 10 years.

    Michelle is a professional agrologist with a bachelor’s degree in environmental science and has built her career working in agriculture and tree seedling production. She currently serves as executive director of the Northwest Invasive Plant Council.

    Supporting farmers and strengthening agriculture in the North has long been at the heart of Michelle’s work. Her passion for food security is rooted in the values of self-sustainability and community support that were instilled in her growing up on the farm.

    Michelle understands the unique challenges northern farmers face, from climate and infrastructure barriers to limited processing capacity. Through Community Farmland Trust, she hopes to help share their stories, support aspiring farmers with access to land and create more opportunities for farming to remain a viable and meaningful career path for future generations.

Michelle is a founding team member of Community Farmland Trust and a lifelong advocate for northern agriculture.

Robert Larson

Robert is a founding team member of Community Farmland Trust, bringing decades of agricultural leadership and land management experience to the organization.

  • Raised in the Peace Country, Robert spent 24 years managing 80,000 acres in the region, following an earlier 10-year role overseeing 25,000 acres across Alberta and Saskatchewan.

    His deep understanding of farmland stewardship has shaped his commitment to food security and protecting agricultural land for future generations.

    Robert joined Community Farmland Trust out of a passion for preserving local farmland and keeping it in community hands. He believes strongly in regenerative land management and building living systems that are less reliant on outside inputs. For Robert, healthy food, strong communities and cooperative land stewardship are deeply connected. 

    He hopes to see Community Farmland Trust continue to remove farmland from the commodity market, creating opportunities for new farmers to grow food, build resilience and carry forward the legacy of the land.

Catharine Kendall

Catharine is a founding team member of Community Farmland Trust, bringing a lifelong connection to agriculture and community-building.

  • Catharine spent much of her childhood on a family farm on the East Coast of Canada.  She has been farming east of Prince George with chickens, goats, and horses for over 25 years. Her roots in farming run deep.

    She currently serves as president of both the Eaglet Lake Farmers’ Institute and the District C Farmers’ Institute, where she continues to champion local agriculture and food security.

    With a background in community development consulting, Catharine has spent much of her career supporting vulnerable children, youth and families. Today, she is focused on building hydroponic grow units, raised-bed gardens, and fruit orchards to provide year-round fresh food for after-school programs. 

    Since joining Community Farmland Trust in early 2025, Catharine has been a passionate advocate for keeping food production in community hands, supporting Indigenous land claims and creating pathways for future farmers. She believes deeply in the power of shared land, education and collaboration to strengthen food systems for generations to come.

Our partners & funders

District C Farmers’ Institute

The Central Interior Farmers’ Institute District C was established to coordinate the activities of Farmers’ Institutes in northwestern B.C. and held conventions and carried out public efforts for the welfare of farming institutes.

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Host Entity

Public Health Association of BC

The Public Health Association of BC is a voluntary, non-profit, non-government, member driven organization that provides leadership to promote health, well-being and social equity. We fulfill our mission through advocacy, collaboration, education and research and do this work through the spectrum of public health practice; including prevention, promotion, protection and policy.

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Funder

Our Board of Directors

A strong organization starts with strong leadership. We are in the process of forming our inaugural Board of Directors and will share details once appointments are finalized. Together, this group will provide strategic guidance and help ensure we remain focused on our mission for generations to come.