Food Banks Canada announces new board members. Business · JUN 26, 2026 PR Newswire Douglas Muzyka and John Peellegoda to serve as board directors TORONTO, June 26, 2026 /CNW/ - Food Banks Canada's board of directors welcomes Douglas Muzy... Douglas Muzyka and John Peellegoda to serve as board directors TORONTO, June 26, 2026 /CNW/ - Food Banks Canada's board of directors welcomes Douglas Muzyka and John Peellegoda to serve as new board directors. Douglas is a business leader and board chair with more than 40 years of experience in science, technology, manufacturing, and innovation. Prior to his career as a corporate director, Douglas spent more than 30 years with DuPont, culminating in his role as Chief Science and Technology Officer and gained extensive international leadership experience. He currently serves as Council Chair of the National Research Council Canada and Chair of the Biologics Manufacturing Centre and serves as Chair of Chemtrade Logistics Income Fund and as a board member of Stella-Jones. Douglas is committed to advancing Canada's economic resilience, health security, and innovation capacity, and believes that access to nutritious food is fundamental to health, dignity, and opportunity. John is currently the Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President of Strategy at the Toronto Port Authority, where he leads finance, strategy, commercial development, and long-term planning. Prior to his current role, John held senior leadership positions at the Greater Toronto Airports Authority and Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. and began his career at PwC Canada. With more than two decades of experience in corporate finance, infrastructure, risk management, and strategic business planning, John brings deep financial expertise, strategic perspective and a commitment to strong governance and community impact. "With food bank usage in Canada remaining at the highest in Canadian history, strong leadership and diverse expertise have never been more important," shared Kirstin Beardsley, Chief Executive Officer, Food Banks Canada. "We are pleased to welcome both Douglas and John to the Food Banks Canada Board of Directors. Their guidance and business acumen will help strengthen our collective efforts as we work towards our vision of building a future where no one in Canada goes hungry." We are grateful for the continuous support from Food Banks Canada's Directors: * Chair, Peter Singer, Chairman of Thomas, Large & Singer Inc. * Vice Chair, Ryan Bahadur, Interim President and VP of Finance at Keurig Dr. Pepper, Canada * Board Secretary, Barbara Gosse, Managing Partner, Not-for-Profit Services at The Osborne Group * Board Treasurer, Simon Laroche, President of Kraft Heinz Canada * Ilya Bahar, retired PwC partner * Vince Barletta, President and CEO of Harvest Manitoba * Linda Beairsto, Partner at McCarthy Tétrault and President of MT>Align * Marjorie Bencz, Executive Director of Edmonton's Food Bank * Tony Chow, President of Coke Canada Bottling * Dany Hétu, Executive Director of Moisson Rive-Sud * Mary-Jo Hewat, Senior Vice President of Human Resources and Facilities at Sagen MI Canada * Simon Laroche, President of The Kraft Heinz Company * The Honourable Percy P. Mockler, Retired Canadian Senator, The Province of New Brunswick * June Muir, Chief Executive Officer of UHC - Hub of Opportunities We extend our heartfelt thanks to Daman Thable-Rayat, John Bayliss and Rosemary McCrie who have completed their 9-year commitments to Food Banks Canada. Food Banks Canada is grateful for their invaluable time, support and dedication to helping us work to find solutions to hunger in Canada. About Food Banks Canada Food Banks Canada is the leader in addressing food insecurity in Canada. Our mission is to provide national leadership to relieve hunger today and prevent hunger tomorrow in collaboration with the food bank network from coast to coast to coast. For over 40 years, food banks have been dedicated to helping people living in Canada with food insecurity. Over 5,500 food banks and community organizations come together to serve our most vulnerable neighbours, who - this year - made close to 2.2 million visits to these organizations in one month alone, according to our HungerCount report. Since 2010, Food Banks Canada has shared over $1.2 billion in food supports and over $292 million in funding to help strengthen the food bank network to meet demand and improve access where it's needed most-while, backed by leading research, advocating for meaningful actions from governments to counter hunger and its root causes. Our vision is clear: to create a Canada where no one goes hungry. Visit foodbankscanada.ca to learn more. SOURCE Food Banks Canada Published by News Desk · WeeklyReviewer The WeeklyReviewer news desk monitors breaking developments around the clock - sourcing, verifying, and publishing real-time industry news across business, technology, politics, science, sports, and world affairs. 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AI engineer quits MNC job to grow orchids in the air, earns Rs 30,000 a week. When Pushpak Sahu realised his ancestral land in Chhattisgarh was flood-prone, he chose to grow orchids in the air rather than in soil. Using aeroponic farming, he earns Rs 30,000 a week and expects annual revenues to hit Rs 45 lakh as the plants mature. 18 Jun 2026 22:29 IST When Pushpak Sahu quit his job as an AI engineer with PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers) in Mumbai, many found the decision irrational. Armed with a Master's degree in Urban Planning and a diploma in Artificial Intelligence, he seemed destined for a corporate career. "Instead, I returned to my ancestral village in Chhattisgarh's Dhamtari district and decided to start commercial orchid farming through aeroponic technique," 28-year-old Pushpak tells 30Stades. Today, his orchid farm generates weekly sales of around Rs 30,000 and is expected to earn nearly Rs 45 lakh annually once the plantation reaches full production in the next three years. The desire to return home. Pushpak completed his Master's degree in 2022 and joined PwC in Mumbai, where he worked as an AI engineer for two years. But the post-pandemic years made him rethink the direction of his life. "After Covid, I started questioning whether I wanted to spend the rest of my life moving between cities and working in offices. My father was nearing retirement, and I wanted to return home and create something of my own before that happened," he says. His father, with a government job, encouraged him to consider opportunities closer to home. Pushpak initially explored the possibility of setting up a factory, but soon realised that the investment required was beyond his budget. "A factory seemed attractive, but it needed much more capital. My father suggested that I look at agriculture because we had ancestral land available," he recalls. The land, however, was located in a flood-prone zone. "It was not ideally suited for conventional farming," he says. "That challenge became the inspiration. Since my name contains the word 'pushpa' (flower), I thought of growing flowers. Due to the flood-prone nature of land, I decided to grow flowers in the air instead of soil," he says. For nearly a year, Pushpak researched protected cultivation, hydroponics and aeroponics while continuing his job. "I remember returning home during Diwali 2023 and seeing a cow tied outside. I felt I was also tied to a routine and wanted freedom to build something meaningful. That was the moment I knew I had to leave." He eventually submitted his resignation and served a three-month notice period before returning to Chhattisgarh in early 2024. Building a high-tech orchid farm. "In Chhattisgarh, polyhouse cultivation is still not very common. Finding skilled workers and materials locally was difficult. I had to bring labour and much of the construction material from Pune." He invested around Rs 56 lakh in building a 1.5-acre polyhouse. The investment covered the protected cultivation structure and related infrastructure. The project received a subsidy under the National Horticulture Board (NHB). "I received around 40 per cent subsidy on the project. In total, the support came to nearly Rs 50 lakh. The saplings' cost was not included in this amount. Without that assistance, setting up a project of this scale would have been very difficult," he says. Importing 50,000 orchid plants. To establish the plantation, Pushpak imported 50,000 Dendrobium orchid plants from Thailand. The cost of each plant was around Rs 72. Transportation and logistics increased the cost to Rs 81, while local replanting expenses added another Rs 5 per plant, taking the total to 86 per plant. "The entire plantation was completed by January 2025. The orchids were planted at a spacing of six inches between rows and eight inches between plants," he says. Why orchids and aeroponics? Pushpak chose to cultivate Dendrobium orchids, one of the most popular cut flowers in India's floral market. Cut orchids are in high demand because of their long vase life, exotic aesthetic appeal, and use in premium event decorations. The global market size for orchids is projected to increase from 751.9 million dollars in 2023 to 1,176.62 million dollars by 2032, as per Zion Market Research. The increasing use of orchids in medicines and the rising popularity for ornamental purposes are driving the growth in orchid demand. Inside the polyhouse, he installed 50 elevated growing tables, each measuring around 40 metres in length, 1.5 metres in width and one metre in height. Instead of soil, the orchids grow on a biochar medium (made from wood charcoal), and the roots are suspended in air. "For every plant, I use about 1.5 kg of biochar. It is extremely durable and can last for decades. The roots absorb nutrient-rich mist sprayed at regular intervals while maintaining temperature and humidity," Pushpak explains. Different formulations of NPK fertilisers are sprayed depending on whether the crop requires vegetative growth, root development or flowering. This promotes faster growth and healthier plants compared to conventional cultivation. "Raised-bed cultivation and soil-less growing helped me overcome the flooding problem completely." Understanding orchid economics. Unlike seasonal crops, orchids are a long-term investment. "They continue producing for around 12 years. The first couple of years are spent building the plant. Once the plantation matures, the returns become very attractive," he says. Currently, the farm harvests around 1,000 flower spikes every week. The flowers are sold in wholesale markets across eastern and central India, including Kolkata, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Nagpur and Raipur. "At present, we are sending about two cartons every week. Each carton generates sales worth around Rs 14,000 to Rs 15,000. So the weekly turnover is around Rs 28,000 to Rs 30,000." Market prices vary depending on demand and season. "In the off-season, a flower spike may sell for around Rs 13. During other times, prices remain between Rs 16 and Rs 18. Festivals and wedding seasons generally improve demand." Revenue expected to rise sharply. The current harvest represents only a fraction of the farm's future potential because the plants are still young. According to Pushpak, a mature orchid plant can eventually produce six flower spikes annually, while productivity may rise to 10-12 spikes per plant by the fifth or sixth year. "This year, I expect around six spikes per plant. As the plantation matures, production will continue increasing. That is when the real economics of the project start becoming visible." Based on current projections, he expects the floriculture farm to generate nearly Rs 45 lakh in annual gross income once the plantation reaches stable production. Operating expenses, including labour, fertilisers and other inputs, currently amount to roughly Rs 9 lakh annually. "The more precisely you manage nutrition and climate, the better the yields. Orchid farming is very scientific. It rewards attention to detail." Apart from managing his own farm, Pushpak has also started training students and farmers. Many growers visit his farm to learn about flower farming, polyhouse management and aeroponic systems. "People often think technology and farming are separate worlds. I don't see it that way. Modern farming is all about technology, data and management. My engineering background helps me every day on the farm," Pushpak says. (Riya Singh is a Ranchi-based journalist who writes on environment, farming, sustainability, startups, & women empowerment).