Island Roots Director: Isabelle Morris

 Introducing Isabelle Morris who attained a bachelor's degree in science from Université du Québec à Rimouski. After working a decade for Parks Canada, she decided to leave in order to pursue the dream of running a successful organic farm business. She also completed a Master's degree from UVIC in 2007 in Environmental Education, headed by a thesis entitled, “Journey to an Organic Lifestyle”. 

 The opportunity to farm was given to her by her father-in-law, owner of Wyndlow Farms Ltd of Yellow Point in search of new crops to make the family farm operation profitable. In the four years she has spent managing the vegetable production she has encountered numerous issues faced by local farmers. She and local experienced growers recently developed a partnership in the hope of finding a solution to labour shortages in agriculture, to increase the production of food in the Nanaimo area and to tackle the local food distribution bind. Isabelle believes there is a need for an efficient distribution channel that has the well-being of our local producers at heart.


 She is a member of the Nanaimo-Cedar Farmers Institute and a member of The Canadian Organic Growers. In 2009 she attended an Agri-food Canada Conference on the agricultural cooperative movement in Canada, in Ottawa. The idea of creating a co-op, to bring together local farmers, has been on her mind for quite some time.


 At 38 years old she has joined the board of Island Roots Market Cooperative to ensure the needs of the producers are being met in this endeavor. She hopes to contribute to Island Roots becoming a thriving, trustworthy business that has at heart the fair and equitable redistribution of profit and the distribution of all this wonderful locally produced food. Mother of three, she understands the importance for families to have access to an abundant, quality local food supply. She foresees Island Roots Cooperative as a way to channel sales and distribution of locally produced food to local consumers, businesses and organizations.