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 for the farm owner, which gives me some cash flow, and is also giving me some valuable bookkeeping experience.
Why did you apply for business mentorship? While I have a background in science, starting a business is a whole different kind of experiment. It’s really helpful to have someone with experience to help validate company goals, and get us familiar with some of the vocabulary around managing a project like this.
What is the greatest business challenge you face as a young farmer? Deciding what to prioritize with minimal cash flow.
What is your primary business goal for the season? I want to understand how to grow crickets efficiently, and get a sense of the market segment that is interested in products with crickets in them.
Funding for the Young Agrarians Business Mentorship Network in 2018 has been provided by Vancity, the Investment Agriculture Foundation of British Columbia, and the Governments of Canada and British Columbia through Growing Forward 2, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative. Thank you to our funders.