Sarah grew up in Oshawa, Ontario, an urban city with a population of 167,000 people located an hour east of Toronto along the 401 corridor. As a child Sarah spent a lot of her school and summer breaks in Haliburton, Ontario where she developed a curiosity for how rural communities withstand the socio-economic impacts of development. This curiosity prompted Sarah to pursue and complete her B.S.Sc. in International Development and Globalization with a minor in Communications from the University of Ottawa. Throughout her undergraduate degree, Sarah became interested in economic development practices and how they aided in improving impoverished countries overseas. However, it was during her three summers employed with the Regional Municipality of Durham’s Planning and Economic Development Department that Sarah realized that there are development improvements that need to be implemented locally, especially in a rural context, to create sustainable and productive societies. This prompted Sarah to pursue her MSc in Rural Planning and Development at the University of Guelph where she is currently in the midst of completing her thesis. Sarah’s thesis explores the ability that agritourism has to aid in revitalizing the agricultural and agri-food industry in Brock, Ontario.

For more information visit www.ruraldev.ca/agritourism or email Sarah at [email protected]