Filter by Popular CategoriesBusiness Mentorship Network – Reveresque
Posted on March 16, 2026
Filter by Popular Categories
“I bought this neglected old farm full of noxious weeds and rundown buildings, planted the orchard, fixed up the old barn, and sold my first bottle in September 2024. The loft is still under renovation but should be ready as a tasting room this summer 2026. My younger self would be thrilled, but probably wonder why he can’t have any of the juice.”
Young Agrarians is celebrating the twelfth year of the Business Mentorship Network (BMN) program in BC and the fourth year of the BMN in the Prairies! The BMN offers a year-long farm business mentorship to a diverse array of new and young farmers. Through one-on-one mentorship, peer networks, and online workshops, new farmers develop the skills necessary to operate ecologically sustainable and financially viable farm businesses.
Applications for mentees across Canada open in Fall 2026. Click below to be notified when applications open!
Mentor applications are accepted year-round. Check out the Business Mentorship Network page for more information!
Meet a mentee from the current cohort and learn about their farm and why they joined the Business Mentorship Network. Want more? Head over to our BMN Blog for more mentorship stories.
Meet a Mentee: Reveresque
Andrew Christensen (he/him) Reveresque, mentored by Noemie Touchette, Northern Lights Winery. I farm just outside Bon Accord AB, 20 minutes North of Edmonton on Treaty 6 territory.
What type of business structure is Reveresque?
Sole Proprietorship, have plans to incorporate the winery
How much land is under production on your farm and what do you produce?
I have 4 acres of fruit trees on 10 acres, haskap, aronia, saskatoons, sour cherries and some younger plums and apples.
What kind of land agreement do you have? Are there special relationships that enabled this?
I own the property. It was pretty rundown when I bought it in 2017 so it was affordable.
Did you access any financing to buy land or start Reveresque?
Just a typical mortgage purchased with savings.
What inspired you to get into farming? Would your younger self be surprised by where you are now?
I lived on a small farm until I was 10 and always missed having that much nature, and space to explore after we left. Every summer the trail to the field would fill with raspberries and I loved that I could just walk outside and have my fill of fresh fruit. In 2008, about 20 years later, I bought some land an hour North of Edmonton and discovered it was filled with wild blueberries and saskatoons. When I started looking into all the things I could do with the fruit, I learned there were actually commercial fruit wineries in Alberta. Wine making was a hobby that started when another broke roommate and I decided it was cheaper than buying alcohol for all the house parties we were attending. I did try to plant more fruit on that land at the time, but with a young family, I wasn’t able to give them the attention they needed. It was 9 years later, May 2017, I finally committed to the idea of starting a fruit winery. I bought this neglected old farm full of noxious weeds and rundown buildings, planted the orchard, fixed up the old barn, and sold my first bottle in September 2024. The loft is still under renovation but should be ready as a tasting room this summer 2026. My younger self would be thrilled, but probably wonder why he can’t have any of the juice.
How did you learn how to farm?
I started attending a lot of conferences and workshops, meeting other farmers and winemakers who were already doing what I wanted to. They were all willing to help me figure out everything from irrigation, to sourcing plants, to fine tuning wine recipes.
What types of ecological farm practices and/or responses to climate change realities do you engage in?
I drip irrigate the plants but that’s not necessarily to mitigate any climate change concerns, it just makes sense to conserve as much water as possible. The barn I restored to operate as the winery did end up with super insulated walls as a consequence of strengthening the framing. As a new business its a little further down the priority list but I am fascinated by a lot of permaculture methods that would be effective toward this goal.
Why did you apply for business mentorship? What are your primary business goals for the season?
I met another farmer who participated, (Trent from Cluck and Clove) and he explained how valuable it was for him. Being new at this, connecting with a successful business owner in my field is proving helpful in a lot of ways. The webinars and Q and A sessions are great to wrap my head around things like bookkeeping and taxes.
What is the greatest challenge you face as a new farmer?
Customers! Trying to connect with more customers. Markets are a good start but until Christmas they’re pretty quiet overall. Just trying to figure out the best use of my time to reach more people and sell more bottles. Building a brand in a small niche is tricky.
How can we find out more about you, Reveresque, and its products?
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561261823365
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/reveresque/
Website:
www.reveresque.ca