For the past thirty years, Janine Gibson has been advocating for organic farming, but this federal election season she wants to advocate for all Manitobans on behalf of the Green Party of Canada.

Gibson has strong roots in rural Manitoba. She grew up on her family’s ranch outside of Oakbank and continues to connect to the realities of farm living. However, her studies at the University of Winnipeg in English and Psychology, and later Human Ecology at the University of Manitoba, has allowed her to gain a broader understanding of the whole country.

“I’ve lived in Winnipeg, Toronto, and Los Angeles, but I call Manitoba home,” Gibson says. She currently lives in Steinbach in an environmentally sustainable home.

She is the owner of Creative Health Consulting, a healthcare consulting business, but her true passion is in organic farming. Gibson has chaired and consulted with many groups, such as the Organic Food Council of Manitoba and the Canadian Organic Growers. Gibson has seen great economic success for organic farming in Manitoba and wishes to see the momentum grow.

“Organic farming hires more people and creates more jobs,” said Gibson.

Gibson has also seen organic farms flourish as small businesses, and if elected she plans on helping small businesses in Manitoba. She says that the people of her community thrive and enjoy their work in owning and operating their own businesses, as opposed to having to leave the community for work in cities.

The principles of the Green Party strike a chord for Gibson, as they focus on the importance of building a more sustainable society for everyone. The party looks at the convergence of healthcare, ecological sustainability, and the economy.

Gibson herself does not have any official plans for the Provencher riding, but she desires to help small businesses grow and provide a better array of services and jobs to our local communities. She believes passionately that sustainable living can help the economy grow.

She identifies the strong leadership of Green Party leader Elizabeth May as being an important factor in her personal decision to run for political office. In the recent provincial election, she also represented the Green Party of Manitoba in the Steinbach riding.