Episode 3 features a panel discussion/interview with Joey Pittoello from JustUs! Coffee Roasters Co-op, Kristen Murray from the Newfoundland-Labrador Federation of Cooperatives (NLFC), Angela Gaudet from Royal Star Foods (Tignish Fisheries Co-operative) for a conversation about the history of, and current happenings in co-operatives in Atlantic Canada. We begin with an interview/panel discussion, followed by a Q&A.
Joey Pittoello – JustUs! Coffee Roasters Cooperative
Joey became part of Just Us! Coffee Roasters Co-op in 2009 as a way to support his passion for organic farming. Over the years, he’s worn many hats at Just Us!, including Chocolatier, Production Manager, and now General Manager. He’s also a Worker Member of the Co-op, which is collectively owned and operated by its 17 Worker Members. While farming has shifted into more of a hobby, Joey continues to live out his commitment to organic agriculture through the relationships Just Us! maintains with small-scale coffee farmers. He, his partner Sarah, and their two children, Mia and Lewyn, live on a small organic farm near Wolfville, Nova Scotia.
Kristen Murray – Newfoundland-Labrador Federation of Cooperatives:
Kristen Murray (she/her) is a community leader and co-operative developer from St. John’s, Newfoundland & Labrador (NL). She holds the degrees of Bachelor of Commerce and Master of Business Administration in Social Enterprise & Entrepreneurship (MBA-SEE) from Memorial University of Newfoundland. For the past three years, Kristen has been working with the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Co-operatives (NLFC), currently in the position of Co-operative Development Officer. She leads co-operative education and development efforts, including a Co-operative Conversion Project and Co-operative Incubator Program. She recently completed CoopZone’s 2-Year Co-operative Developer Training Program and is now enrolled in the Certificate of Co-operative Management program at Saint Mary’s University. Kristen was the 2022 recipient of the Lemaire Co-operative Studies Award from the Canadian Association for Studies in Co-operation, a 2023 Co-operators Young Leaders Award recipient, and named the 2023 Young Co-operator of the Year from Co-operatives & Mutuals Canada. She is proud to also sit on Co-operatives & Mutuals’ youth advisory council, called Canada’s Emerging Co-operators. Kristen has a steadfast passion for the co-operative model and believes in the role co-operation will play in creating a brighter future for society and the planet.
Angela Gaudet – Royal Star Foods (Tignish Fisheries Co-operative):
Bio coming soon.
Webinar context
The world is changing at an unprecedented pace, leaving many individuals and communities with a sense of uncertainty, and in many cases, worry. How do we respond to this rapidly changing world? How do we strengthen our local agency and resilience, socially, economically, and ecologically? With newly imposed tariffs that threaten to worsen the financial realities within our communities, we want to shine a light on thriving examples of re-localization in our region!
Re-localization is a concept and movement with an aim to become more self-reliant in our production and consumption (while reducing reliance on distant supply chains) in everything from energy, to food, to climate solutions, and beyond.
This series is held on the last Thursday of each month from 12-1pm Atlantic and will explore examples of re-localization across Atlantic Canada! Hope to see you there.