In February 2024, when WWOOF Canada became a non-profit, the organization also appointed its first-ever Board of Directors. These directors were selected from the WWOOF community and have helped to guide the organization during the past year.
WWOOF Canada has begun a series profiling its board members. This article will profile Mateja Heningman, an experienced WWOOF Host and marketing specialist based in the Kootenay Rockies, British Columbia.
Mateja was born in Slovenia, where farm-to-table was the norm. Her family had a large garden, fruit trees and relied on home-raised or local meat and dairy, which was shared and traded with family, friends and neighbours. She later lived in New Zealand, Australia, Japan and Croatia and was exposed to many different ways of life and relationships with food and farming.
After completing a Bachelor of Business Marketing, Mateja entered the world of advertising, media and sales and had a successful career working with some of the world’s biggest brands. Having a high level of experience in the inner workings of the corporate world of publicity, editorial, and opinion pieces highly driven by ROI and revenues, she was led to question her desire for the dollar and ultimately leave the industry in search of a healthier, more balanced lifestyle. She began learning about food, health, growing and the impacts of modern-day agriculture systems on the natural world and human health after her father passed away while she was in her early 20s.
Mateja has volunteered for natural/ecological farms and came across WWOOF when developing her own 40-acre property in the Kootenay Rockies of BC. The WWOOF movement and its values resonate very much with her own. Over three years, Mateja and her husband turned a raw piece of land into a thriving wilderness retreat with a garden that produced enough vegetables for the year, cabins and outhouses made from lumber harvested on the property and off-grid infrastructure that supported these. They welcomed volunteers every year, as well as retreat guests who wanted to reconnect with nature. As an avid cook and grower, Mateja teaches others about food, cooking, health and sustainability.
Mateja brings over 20 years of experience in managing and marketing businesses to the WWOOF board as well as a passion for sustainability, community and education. She hopes to help and support WWOOF Canada’s growth and raise awareness about sustainable agriculture and our food systems.