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Imagine a time when livestock roamed the Acadia campus and fields of turnips were harvested by students excused from class to lend a helping hand. The original Acadia Farm once occupied much of the campus we know today and although it ceased operations in 1956, a new farm eventually grew in its place. The current Acadia Community Farm, started by students in 2008 and now under the direction of the Acadia Sustainability Office, still produces food for campus, but also continues the tradition of teaching, research and service related to food and agriculture at Acadia.

Join Acadia Sustainability Coordinator and Director of the Acadia Farm, Jodie Noiles, Associate Professor, Nutrition and Dietetics, Dr. Liesel Carlsson ('03), and past Student Farm Coordinator, Sarah Boudreau ('17, '20) for an enlightening conversation about the Acadia Farm, from past to present. This Acadia Alumni Virtual Event Series presentation will be moderated by Executive Director, Alumni Affairs Oonagh Proudfoot ('93, '06).

Presenter bios

Jodie Noiles

Jodie Noiles is the Sustainability Coordinator at Acadia University in Mi’kma’ki, Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada. In this role she helps to advance sustainability initiatives at the University in the areas of waste, water, energy and climate change, transportation and food through student education and engagement, campus operations, community outreach and partnerships.

She is the Chair of the Acadia Food Services Advisory Committee, member of the Energy Management Team, Project Lead for the Fair-Trade Campus, Organic Campus, and Plastic-Free Campus Programs, and the UNSDG program since Acadia became the first university in Canada to sign the SDG Accord.

Her background includes work in the public, private and non-profit sectors in the areas of ecotourism, festivals and events development, marketing, environmental education, and sustainability. She is past Chair of the Atlantic Canada Universities and Colleges Sustainability Network. She is also past Chair of the Nova Scotia Festivals and Events Council, providing leadership in greening of festivals and events in the province.

She holds a BA in psychology and geography from Queen’s University and a Graduate Certificate in Ecotourism Management from Sir Sanford Fleming College. Personal interests include birding, riding, hiking, and skiing. Originally from Kingston, Ontario, she now lives in Wolfville, Nova Scotia.

Sarah Boudreau ('17, '20)

A lover of food, education, and the outdoors, Sarah is an Acadia University graduate with a BSc in Nutrition (‘17) and BEd (‘20). She teaches middle school in the West Hants region and owns a five-acre homestead with her partner, Arianne.

During her time at Acadia, Sarah spent four years as the Acadia Farm Coordinator, growing food and community through sustainable gardening. The Acadia Farm has led Sarah to a career of being a life-long learner and educator, both in the classroom and on her own property.

Liesel Carlsson

Liesel Carlsson (she/her) is an Associate Professor in the School of Nutrition and Dietetics at Acadia University, and a Registered Dietitian. She holds a Master of Science in Applied Human Nutrition from Mount Saint Vincent University and a PhD in Strategic Sustainable Development from Blekinge Tekniska Högskola (Sweden).

She has focused her professional and scholarly work at the intersection of sustainability, food and nutrition, some of which has been used by organizations to guide strategic and scholarly work. Her research and volunteer work has included community-led and garden-based learning about sustainable food systems and community food security. She Co-Chaired Dietitians of Canada’s Sustainable Food Systems Leadership Team and for this work was recognized in 2018 for leadership in advancement of the profession.

When not working on sustainable food and nutrition, Liesel can be found spending time with her family outside in the 60-acre wood they steward, paddling, skiing, trying to up her skills at horseback archery, gardening, or trying to keep growing children fed sustainably!