President

Jennifer Woike

Representing Poultry

Jennifer and her husband Ian operate a multi-faceted farm in the Cowichan Valley. While their main focus is on their egg layer flock of 60,000+ layers, they also operate an egg grading facility and market 100% of the eggs they produce.  Alongside the egg business, they also have a 35-acre hazelnut orchard, 50+ head cow/calf operation, and grow and harvest many different field crops. They have 3 children and their middle son is actively involved in the day-to-day farm operations.

In her four-year tenure with BC Egg Marketing Board, Jennifer served as Vice-Chair and representative for Vancouver Island and the chair of the Communications and Marketing Committee and the Production Management Committee. She also served as a National Alternate on the Egg Farmers of Canada Board. In 2021, Jennifer was appointed to the Island panel of the Agricultural Land Commission.

Jennifer has a Women in Leadership certificate from Cornell Online University as well as the NFP Governance certificate from the Sauder School of Business. Most recently, she enrolled in UBC Sauder School of Business to study Real Estate Licensing and has also completed the Foundations in Agricultural Management from the University of Guelph. Jennifer has been a guest lecturer at Olds College on a variety of topics including layer production practices, agriculture and the media, and women in agriculture.

In 2011, Jennifer was successfully elected to the Municipality of North Cowichan council where she chaired the Agricultural Advisory Committee and the Parks and Recreation Committee.

Vice President

Sarah Sache

Representing Dairy

Sarah operates a dairy farm in Rosedale, B.C. alongside her husband Gene and brother-in-law Grant. Together, they milk 150 cows with three robots and farm 170 acres. With over a decade of dairy farming experience, Sarah has a passion for communicating about modern dairy farming with consumers, partners, and policymakers and connecting with future generations around the importance of a sustainable dairy industry. Sarah serves as BC Dairy’s Vice-Chair, serves on the Agricultural Advisory Committee for the City of Chilliwack, and has been a delegate for Agrifoods International Cooperation Ltd. since 2016. Sarah is also an advocate for autism awareness and volunteers for the annual “Saccomaniacs Agriculture for Autism” golf tournament which raises money for the Pacific Autism Family Network.

Board Treasurer

Ray VanMarrewyk

Representing Greenhouse Vegetables

Ray is a fourth-generation greenhouse grower. He grows sweet bell peppers alongside his brother Ron at his family farm, Westcoast Vegetables, in Delta.  Ray serves as Treasurer for the BC Greenhouse Growers’ Association and is a Director on the Delta Farmers’ Institute Board.  He previously worked as a Chartered Accountant for over a decade. His company’s growing passion is in People, Peppers, and Planet. Westcoast Vegetables has strong core values that complement the values of the agricultural sector.  Ray believes that growing vegetables in greenhouses (vegetables that otherwise do not grow well in B.C.) is critical to food security and sustainability for the province. He is committed to family and giving back to the community. 

Director-At-Large

Niklaus Forstbauer

Representing Organics

Niklaus lives in Chilliwack on the farm he grew up on. Forstbauer Family Natural Food Farm is a multi-generational, certified Organic farm that uses holistic & regenerative practices. Niklaus is Co-President of Organic BC and has served on BCAC’s Board of Directors since 2019.

Director

Lynda Atkinson

Representing Equine

Lynda has been a horse owner for decades. She breeds Morgans, Quarter Horses, and Standardbreds in Quesnel, B.C. In addition to BC Agriculture Council, Lynda also serves on the Board of Directors for several organizations including Horse Council BC, Canadian Federation of Agriculture, and Harness Racing BC. She also sits on the B.C. Horse Racing Industry Management Committee. Lynda is a retired high school administrator, counselor, and college instructor.

Director

Jennifer Critcher

Representing Grain

Jennifer’s family farm is located between Dawson Creek and Fort St. John where they grow wheat, barley, oats, peas, and canola over 4,000 acres. She has been a Director with BC Grain Producers Association since 2018 and Vice President since 2021. Her career in agriculture began as a child on the family farm and she has continued to work with farmers in some capacity over the past 20 years including as a certified crop advisor and as a sales rep for a crop input centre. Following that, Jennifer took a position in the oil and gas industry, working with farmers who had oil and gas activity on their properties to lessen the impacts of invasive weeds and improve soil management practices. For several years, Jenifer has been involved with the family farm, raising her family, and volunteering with BC Grain Producers Association. She is passionate about advocating for grain producers and sharing the story of what the grain sector is doing to provide a safe, environmentally, and economically sustainable food source for Canadians.

Director

David Mutz

Representing Coastal Horticulture

David is a third-generation berry farmer at his family farm, Berryhaven Farm Ltd. Together with his parents, he runs a wholesale fresh market berry operation in Abbotsford B.C. David sits on the Board of Directors for the Lower Mainland Horticulture Improvement Association. He is a representative on the Abbotsford Agriculture Grants Committee and the Canadian representative for the North American Raspberry/Blackberry Association. David has also served as Chair of the Raspberry Industry Development Council and on BCAC’s Labour Committee. David farms with the support of his wife, Kristen, together they have a young son and daughter.

Director

Peter Simonsen

Representing Interior Horticulture

Director

Len Smit

Representing Nursery

Director

Brian Thomas

Brian is a third-generation rancher, and his family has been ranching in Okanagan Falls for over 100 years.  He is a Director for the BC Cattlemen’s Association, a Director for the South Okanagan Stockmen’s Association, and he was previously a Director for BC Livestock Producers Co-operative Association.

In 2000 his family sold a large portion of their ranch to The Nature Trust of British Columbia, to protect the land from development and to have it continue as a cattle ranch.  They now lease back the ranch, and currently run 200 cow/calf pairs and sell their excess hay.  On the land that wasn’t sold, they lease a portion to Arterra Wines Canada for a vineyard.  Brian also runs an organically listed compost operation, using cattle bedding and grape pomace from local wineries.

Director

Alex Vander Eyk

Representing Floriculture

Ex Officio

Rebecca Senicar

Rebecca represents BC Young Farmers on the BCAC Board of Directors. Rebecca and her family operate Winners Holstein Farms, a 450 cow dairy farm in Cloverdale, B.C. In addition to milking cows, Rebecca has helped add a small beef herd to the farm and market beef products online to her community. Rebecca attended university in Saskatoon, working towards a bachelor’s degree in agriculture where she focused on animal sciences. During her time in Saskatoon, she volunteered at the university barns during lambing season, at the dairy, and vaccinated poultry. Rebecca has volunteered with the Mainland Young Milk Producers and was deeply involved in 4-H for more than a decade – at the club, district, provincial, and national levels. She enjoys networking with like-minded individuals, sharing ideas, and learning about other sectors in agriculture.