All posts by Kristen Nammour

2019 B.C. Business Mentorship Network – Apply Now!

Posted by Kristen Nammour on October 05, 2018

B.C. Business Mentorship Network

Ready to Grow Your Farm Business? Are you a young (or young at heart) animal or vegetable producer living in British Columbia? Are you operating a new farm and looking for guidance to grow your business? Young Agrarians is excited to offer a fifth season of the B.C. Business Mentorship Network! This program pairs new and seasoned farmers together to cultivate the skills for running ecologically sustainable and financially viable businesses. Mentors work with you to analyze your operations and lay the groundwork for your farm’s business growth. What You Get As a participant in this program you will receive … Continue reading 2019 B.C. Business Mentorship Network – Apply Now!

Business Mentorship Network – Toadstools & Handtools Farm

Posted by Kristen Nammour on April 27, 2018

Michael-Anthony and Jessica farm in the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island and operate Toadstools and Handtools Farm. We grow a variety of organically certified vegetables, herbs, and gourmet mushrooms. We are in our second season on newly rented land with an edited lease agreement that we pulled from the Young Agrarians website. Our passion is restorative agriculture. We aim to produce a nutrient dense vegetarian diet using low-impact hand tools, although Michael-Anthony would love to have a front-loader to move compost, and with carbon-sequestering farming practices, such as true no-till farming. We have incorporated fungi into the design of the … Continue reading Business Mentorship Network – Toadstools & Handtools Farm

Business Mentorship Network – Turtle Creek Farm

Posted by Kristen Nammour on April 25, 2018

Names?  Bee Ramos, Ben Krieger Where do you farm? Turtle Creek Farm in Oliver, BC What do you farm? Mixed veggies ( greens, radishes, asparagus, tomatoes) and a small herd of dairy goats. What type of business structure is your farm? General Partnership What is your land tenure? We purchased our farm at the end of 2016. Freehold. What inspired you to get into farming? For Ben: Learning about the importance of taking care of the land at a young age, I have always wanted to be involved in sustainable farming. For Bee: I had the opportunity to volunteer at goat dairies and … Continue reading Business Mentorship Network – Turtle Creek Farm

Business Mentorship Network – Elemental Farms

Posted by Kristen Nammour on April 22, 2018

Name? Kevin Allen Where do you farm? Elemental Farm in Saanich, BC What do you farm? Mixed vegetables What type of business structure is your farm? Sole proprietorship What is your land tenure? I have a lease arrangement for 4-years at Haliburton Farm, an incubator project of the Capitol Regional District. I’ll have a maximum term of 8 years and have access to shared tools,  infrastructure, and markets to help me establish my farm business.  What inspired you to get into farming? To do meaningful work that is connected to our environment and community. Why did you apply for business mentorship? I’m a … Continue reading Business Mentorship Network – Elemental Farms

Business Mentorship Network – The Farmhouse Bard

Posted by Kristen Nammour on April 20, 2018

Name? Roger Woo Where do you farm? The Farmhouse Bard in Surrey, BC What do you farm? Mixed vegetables. I’m excited to be doing more asian greens this year. What type of business structure is your farm? Sole proprietorship. What is your land tenure? I’m currently growing on leased land. I was part of Young Agrarians’ pilot land matching programme and while leasing has its own share of challenges, it has also been rewarding in ways I could never have foreseen at the outset. Good drainage, fertile ground, and fine tilth: my farm is none of those things. But what I do have … Continue reading Business Mentorship Network – The Farmhouse Bard

Business Mentorship Network – BugHungry Cricket Farm

Posted by Kristen Nammour on April 18, 2018

Name? BugHungry; my name is Laura Kennedy and my brother, Michael, and I are starting our cricket farm business together. Where do you farm? Currently farming in Squamish BC, but we are also looking for a warehouse to expand into. What do you farm? Crickets! BugHungry is BC’s first (that we know of) edible cricket farm. We would like to eventually expand into other insects. What type of business structure is your farm? Partnership. What is your land tenure? I work on a hobby farm in exchange for room and board, as well as a space to experiment with cricket rearing. I also work as a secretary … Continue reading Business Mentorship Network – BugHungry Cricket Farm

Business Mentorship Network – Trent River Herb Farm

Posted by Kristen Nammour on April 15, 2018

Our names are Tristan Ford and Kayla Storkson and we are Trent River Herb Farm located in Royston BC.  We just bought our 22 acre property in July 2017 and our vision is farming medicinal herbs specializing in herbal products used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Our primary crops this year are Astragalus Membranaceous ( Huang Qi) and Echinacea Purpura.  We have also planted a hazelnut orchard 60 trees strong, as well as blueberries, asparagus, garlic and holy basil. Tristan and I are practitioners of Chinese medicine and we have noticed our profession in North America desires to be more … Continue reading Business Mentorship Network – Trent River Herb Farm

Business Mentorship Network – Hands & Hearts Acres

Posted by Kristen Nammour on April 13, 2018

Name? Rob & Holly Holland Where do you farm? Cawston, BC in the South Okanagan What do you farm? Ground crops; 50 different varieties of veggies, some melons and tree fruits (if the bears don’t get them first). What type of business structure is your farm? General partnership What is your land tenure? We own our farm and land, which we purchased in 2017. What inspired you to get into farming? We have always wanted to live in the country and work for ourselves. Once we had our daughters, it made us realize further that the city wasn’t where we wanted to raise a family. Being … Continue reading Business Mentorship Network – Hands & Hearts Acres

Business Mentorship Network – From the Ground Up Schoolyard Farms

Posted by Kristen Nammour on April 11, 2018

Name: Elizabeth Laing, as the farm coordinator for Squamish Helping Hands Society – a multi-faceted and passionate organization that operates an emergency homeless shelter, community drop-in centre, transition house, a food rescue program, school lunch program, gardens, etc. etc. etc. Where do you farm: From the Ground Up Schoolyard Farms, Squamish, BC What do you farm: Vegetables, herbs and flowers What type of business structure is your farm: Non-profit What is your land tenure? Are there special relationships that allow for this: We have a few boxes at our emergency shelter site, but most significantly we are partnering with 5 schools this year … Continue reading Business Mentorship Network – From the Ground Up Schoolyard Farms

Business Mentorship Network – Fireweed Farmstead

Posted by Kristen Nammour on April 03, 2018

Name? Fiona and Jens at Fireweed Farmstead Where do you farm? Merville, Comox Valley, BC What do you farm? Currently veggies (greenhouse and field), pork, eggs. Really round rocks. What type of business structure is your farm? Partnership What is your land tenure? We own our land. What inspired you to get into farming? Jens – stupid youtube videos. Fiona – I have always enjoyed gardening. Both – we are too grumpy to work for other people J. And the serious (no, I was being serious) answer is we both enjoy many of the aspects of farming that make it a natural … Continue reading Business Mentorship Network – Fireweed Farmstead