who

The WoodGrain Farmer Cooperative

Formed in 2021 between Willow Rudiger, Meira Larsen, Jolene Swain, and Jonathan Knight, the WoodGrain Farmers Cooperative has taken the helm of the market garden operation of WoodGrain Farm.

With a focus on organic growing and self-sufficiency, Jonathan started the latest farming iteration on this historic Kispiox Valley farmstead in 2009. Joined by Jolene in 2015, they soon diversified beyond a focus on strictly market gardening into other on and off-farm interests. Willow came to the rescue as lead market gardener in 2019, and Meira became an indispensable member of the crew in 2020.

The Cooperative was formed to embody a more equal division of labor and autonomy for each member, while allowing both Jonathan and Jolene to focus more intensively on growing and nurturing seed crops, milling grain, building infrastructure and maintenance, and caring for the myriad of animals residing on the farm.

Willow and Meira are your full time market gardeners, transitioning into this responsibility with the invaluable support of the original WoodGrain farmers, while bringing their own experience and expertise into the fold. They are who you’ll be seeing at the markets, and who will be growing the vegetables for your CSA bags!

Over the past decade at WoodGrain Farm we’ve had innumerable extra pairs of hands come by, sometimes for a few days, and other times for a few years. This old farmstead continues to evolve with the people who are drawn here, by fate or design, and who lend their ideas and energies to it.

To all the friends, family, farm helpers, wwoofers, travelling cyclists and others who have left your mark, thank-you, and come back any time.