November 19th, 2025
Old Orchard Inn
9am – 3:30pm
Door open at 8am
153 Greenwich Road South
Greenwich, Nova Scotia
Harvesting Connections: Growing Institutional Partnerships from the Ground Up is a one-day forum dedicated to strengthening relationships between Nova Scotia’s producers, processors, distributors, and institutional buyers.
Held on November 19, 2025 at the Old Orchard Inn in Greenwich, NS, the event will feature:
- A keynote address from Sheena Russell, founder and CEO of Made with Local, where she will share her story of the growth and development of Made with Local, describing what opportunities and challenges institutional sales have presented her business
- Breakout sessions and panels focused on practical solutions for integrating more local food into schools, hospitals, long-term care facilities, and other institutions.
- A producer showcase where farms and food businesses can present their products directly to institutional buyers, fostering conversations that turn into long-term partnerships.
This event is designed to spark collaboration, share success stories, and identify solutions that make local food procurement practical, sustainable, and impactful across Nova Scotia.
Producer Showcase
Producers who are ready to take their first steps into the institutional market can sign up to showcase their products to numerous buyers, from local institutions and distributors.
Space is limited. Please indicate on the registration form if you are interested in signing up for the Producer Showcase and a team member will be in touch with you to share the requirements.
Keynote Address
Sheena Russell, Founder and CEO of Made with Local
Sheena Russell is the Founder and CEO of Made with Local, a renowned Nova Scotian snack food brand.
The humble beginnings of Made with Local trace back to a little 5-foot farmers market table in Halifax selling snacks made with regionally-sourced ingredients.
Under Sheena’s leadership, the company has experienced rapid growth, expanding its presence to over 3000 retailers across Canada, including Nova Scotia hospitals and universities. Sheena aspires for Made with Local to ascend as one of the world’s most sustainable food companies, built right here in Nova Scotia, blazing a trail for others to follow.
Meet Your Speakers
Cristina Edworthy, Director of Canadian Senior Living & Healthcare, Remote Accommodations, Higher Educations and Bid Sales
With over two decades dedicated to Gordon Food Service, Cristina has built a distinguished career by successfully leading several key positions across the organization. As the current Director of Non-Commercial, she leads a dynamic, coast-to-coast team responsible for supporting vital sectors like healthcare, senior living, remote accommodations, and higher education. Cristina is a recognized servant leader whose drive goes beyond business metrics; she is truly passionate about the profound impact of her work, particularly her ability to connect quality food to the most vulnerable members of our communities. Cristina resides in Ontario and works out of the GFS Milton plant.
James Bullen, Divisional Merchandising Manager
A seasoned food service expert with nearly 20 years of experience at Gordon Food Service (GFS) in Amherst, Nova Scotia. Specializing in procurement, category management, and merchandising, James brings an in-depth understanding of the food landscape. Prior to his extensive tenure at GFS, his career included key roles as a Food Service Manager and Director with major industry players like Sodexo and Aramark across various university campuses. James holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Acadia University.
This comprehensive background, combined with his roots growing up on the South Shore, allows James to deeply understand the unique landscape of the Maritimes and the practical steps local producers need to take to successfully enter the food service market. He lives in Amherst, NS.
Leah Noble, Executive Director
As Executive Director of the Cape Breton Food Hub, Leah Noble helps grow connections between farmers, producers, and institutions across Cape Breton Island/Unama’ki.
Her work focuses on strengthening distributor networks and expanding access to healthy, local food.
A writer and graphic designer turned food systems advocate, Leah brings creativity and community spirit to everything she does.
Rebecca Tran, Founder
Rebecca is the founder of The Station Food Hub Company, a purpose led business located in Newport Station, Nova Scotia.
She believes in re-localizing the food system and the power of institutional procurement. The mission of The Station is to connect local farms, food and people using a business model that creates value from diverted food waste, food by-products, and surplus food.
Rebecca grew up in Nova Scotia and studied Nutrition at Acadia University. She is a registered dietitian and has a Master’s in Health Administration from the University of British Columbia. She has worked as a public health dietitian in both Vancouver and rural Nova Scotia for 20 years and her area of expertise is in community food security, the food system, and improving the food environment through larger system change.
She lives with her husband and three young children in Windsor.
John Ernst, Business Development
Joining Terra Beata directly from Smith School of Business, John has spent the last five years focused on growth in retail, foodservice, co-packing and export opportunities. He enjoys connecting and working with Atlantic Canadian growers, processors, and service providers, and feels lucky to call Nova Scotia home. John is passionate about the Canadian agri-food industry, and a strong believer in the importance of local businesses in our provincial economy.
Amanda Northcott, Executive Lead for School Food
Amanda Northcott leads the Nova Scotia School Lunch Program, a province-wide initiative providing daily access to nutritious, affordable meals for students. Under her leadership, the program has expanded rapidly-now reaching 334 schools and more than 103,000 students in its second year. Her work focuses on building healthy, inclusive, and sustainable school food systems through strong partnerships with multiple government departments, Regional Centres for Education, the Conseil scolaire acadien provincial, schools, food service providers, and technology partners.
Gerry Wilson, Coordinator of Procurement
Gerry Wilson has over 47 years of public sector logistics in both the Canadian Armed Services (25 years) and the Annapolis Valley Regional Centre for Education (AVRCE) (23 Years). Gerry is responsible for the total procurement process as it relates to business initiatives and Supply Chain Management for the AVRCE. The primary focus is on Internal Departments, as well as involvement with both public and private external agencies. The procurement responsibilities are associated with both strategic and day to day functions which involves development, implementation and administration of activities associated with the acquisition and contract management for goods, services and construction.
Brenda MacDonald, Senior Director of Nutrition and Food Services
Brenda is the Senior Director of Nutrition and Food Services at Nova Scotia Health, leading over 1,300 professionals across multiple hospitals. She is grateful for the opportunity to promote the belief that food is medicine, fostering a culture of nutrition that supports healing and recovery. Over the past several years, Brenda has led the rollout of the Enhanced Room Service model in twelve hospitals—introducing a more flexible, patient-centered food system that prioritizes locally sourced ingredients.
Brenda has focused on building strong partnerships with local growers, producers and suppliers to prioritize fresh, local ingredients. This approach has enriched hospital menus, and reduced food waste from 40% to under 13%. She feels honored to help create a more sustainable food system that nourishes the health and well-being of Nova Scotians.
Tammy Oliver, Support Services Manager
Tammy Oliver is the Support Services Manager at Mountain Lea Lodge. She has 25 years of experience performing varied positions within Food and Nutrition Services in acute care, educational settings and in long-term care.
Overseeing the Dining Services Department at Mountain Lea Lodge has provided her with the opportunity to work alongside some amazing and dedicated colleagues to enhance the resident dining experience through menu offerings catered to resident preferences.
Dan Cormier, Manager of Food Service
As a second-generation Red Seal Chef, Dan brings over 35 years experience in the food service industry. In his role as Food Service Manager at a Provincial Correctional Facility, Dan takes pride in sourcing and providing Nova Scotia products to over 170 clients. He is a certified food safety instructor, has managed an on-site garden and loves seeing local products that vendors have to offer!
Stephanie Hefford, Manager of Food Production
Stephanie began her career as a Journeyman Cook, graduating from the Culinary Institute of Canada. Her early years were filled with travel while working in hotels and restaurants across Canada but later attending Acadia University to pursue a passion for nutrition and food. As a Registered Dietitian, Stephanie has worked in both acute care and long term care settings, finding her niche in administrative dietetics. Today, she continues to follow her passion while working at Northwood as Manager of Food Production.
Rai-Lee Gardiner, Director of Engagement and Wellness
Rai-Lee has a background in psychology and nutrition and is a registered dietitian in Nova Scotia. Having a life-long passion for food, science, and health she has spent over 15 years in various roles in restaurants, grocery, and institutional food settings. She has been working with Aramark at Dalhousie University for 6 years with a focus on health, safety, student engagement, and education. She has also spent years making connections and better understanding local Atlantic Food Systems, gaps, and opportunities. She is a board member for the Halifax Regional Food Hub.
Book Your Stay
Participants can benefit from preferred rates at the Old Orchard Inn.
$199 – $219
Book Online
Group Code: 2511PERENN
or
Call 800-561-8090
Say you are attending Harvesting Connections
We want to hear from you!
We’re asking for your input on the opportunities and challenges of increasing local food in Nova Scotia’s institutions.
We’ve created two short surveys to gather feedback on your interest, readiness, and perceived barriers in institutional procurement. Your responses will guide future supports and resources to make local procurement more practical and beneficial for all.
