Name? Emily Whitfield
Where do you farm? Granite Bay Farm, on Quadra Island, BC.
What do you farm? Mixed veggies, eggs, and lamb.
What type of business structure is your farm? Sole proprietorship.
What is your land tenure? My husband and I own an old homestead on the North end of Quadra Island. I am also looking at leasing some land.
How did you seriously get into farming? I grew up on a large sheep farm in New Brunswick. My uncle had a berry farm next door that I would work in as a kid as well. 4-H was a big part of my childhood life. I’ve never really felt like farming was a choice. It just happens.
Why did you apply for the YA Business Mentorship Network? If there is one thing I’ve learned about doing things on my own is that you often fail many times before getting it right. There is so much to learn from people who are doing it already (well).
What is the greatest business challenge you face as a young farmer? One of the great things about my lifestyle is that I get to be a stay at home mother. But that also ends up being my biggest challenge! I often get discouraged with what I accomplish in a day and am always looking for a balance between farm, family and life.
What are your business goals for the season? I am looking forward to really getting a handle on my record keeping (it’s all part of my YA mentorship farming super power training).
What business tools could you not live without? My computer & Excel!
If you had a farming super power what would it be? To be Madame Crop Planner Extrordinaire.
What is your favourite farm book? Needless to say this year it’s Crop Planning for Organic Vegetable Growers.
Funding for the Young Agrarians Business Mentorship Network Pilot is provided in part by Salt Spring Coffee, Vancity, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the BC Ministry of Agriculture through programs delivered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC.
