MC Pace was a part of the Business Bootcamp for New Farmers program, and we wanted to share their perspectives with the new and aspiring farmers in our network. Want more stories of other farmers? Check out the links at the bottom of this post!
Please share a bit about yourself and about your farm.
My name is MC Pace [they/them], and I am currently gearing up for my second year of farming. I grow food and flowers on 7 acres in the Annapolis Valley (Sipekne’katik), upon Unceded Mi’kima’ki (Nova Scotia).
What is the name of your farm?
Salt+Sickle Homestead. Radical imagination in action.
What do you grow or want to grow?
This past season (2023) I grew vegetables, potatoes, garlic, herbs, mushrooms, edible and cut flowers, some apples and wild berries. This coming season (2024) I will be expanding to include cultivated berries, saffron, a full corn patch and two greenhouse set-ups: one above ground, and one below.
Tell us how you became interested in growing food.
I’ve always wanted to grow my own food and be self sufficient. Given how expensive life is these days (and how much of our food is controlled by corporate monopolies) the idea of being able to supplement food for my family and my community through my own labour is something I consider to be a worthwhile endeavour. I love knowing and working-with a plant at every stage of its existence; always learning, always being humbled by the process.
Where were you at when you decided to take the Bootcamp?
This past year (2023) was my first growing season after being on my property since June of 2022. It was a rainy and cool season, with a number of storms and unfortunate growing hurdles. Alas, lessons were learned, corrections were made, and harvests were bountiful. I officially registered my business in August of 2023, and coming into the fall season, I wanted something to keep me accountable to my business throughout the quieter fall/winter months.
What motivated you to take the Bootcamp?
While I was craving accountability to my business, I was also feeling like I had exhausted my vision (from having been working on it for so long on my own). Given the tone and focus of YA’s work, I had confidence in the quality of other folks I would meet in the course, and along with the diversity of presenters, could acquire tangible feedback and community connection. Having a weekly Zoom seemed like the perfect way to maintain momentum, and having the content available online to do any time helped me to integrate it into my schedule.
What are you most excited about from the Bootcamp?
It was a great investment of my time and energy. I met great people from all over Turtle Island (Canada) and got to listen to fascinating speakers with very different types of knowledge and experience. I got to push my own ideas and my own comfort levels in the world of farming (which felt very awkward those first few weeks, felt totally out of my element!). Coming out the other end, I feel more set-up than ever, ready to take on whatever comes next – with an invisible crew of similarly-inclined business-bootcampers behind me, cheering me on.
Where are you at now after taking the Bootcamp?
Since the beginning of January, I have been updating my barn/outbuilding into a dedicated seed-starting area. It is now insulated and built with about 4 times the amount of growing space that I started with last year. I’ve also been building my website and putting together the books. In a few weeks I will begin planting seeds!
What was a big “ah ha” moment you had?
One of my biggest hurdles was wrapping my head around offering a CSA program. After hearing testimony from course leader and session facilitator Chantelle Chan about their experience running a CSA program, I was able to release how I was building it up in my head. I find anecdotal, real-life experience incredibly helpful, and in that specific discussion, I was reminded of the power of community, and the importance of leading with authenticity.
What did you think of the format of the course?
What I liked about the course format was that time was used wisely. By being able to complete the course content and worksheet before coming to the session meant that our session time was rich with conversation, connection and access to experts in the field. As an academic in another life, I wholly appreciated how much content we could jam-pack weekly!
Who was your favourite speaker? Who did you connect with the most?
I enjoyed so many of the speakers, but I think the one that sticks out the most is Chris Bodnar (who hosts on topics like cashflow, risk management and bookkeeping). I know from my own experience, those can be some of the scariest parts of a business to think about, and Chris’ attitude took a lot of the mystery out of it and made it clear and simple to understand. I loved these two particular sessions because fellow bootcampers asked amazing questions which fostered great dialogue and deep learnings for all of us together.
Tell us about any connections you made with people outside of the scheduled calls.
Being from Unceded Mi’kima’ki I thought I might be the only one from the East Coast. Delightfully, I was wrong, and met someone else in the course lives not too far from me. This was particularly exciting, and I’m looking forward to keeping in touch!
What was your favourite topic covered?
I would say the most memorable topics for me were the Branding and Marketing sections. Everything from what not to put on a logo, to how to tell and market your story. The speakers had such depth of experience – I will watch those videos again, and again – no doubt.
What are your next steps? What is your long term vision?
Come May, I will be getting out the big landscaping machines and expanding the growing space of my operation. Installing a small pond, an underground walipini greenhouse, and building 2-3 bigger fields for larger-scale crops. Aside from growing more food this year, I am looking to invest deeply into infrastructure: building an accessible 3-4 season event space, a roadside market stand, and an accessible guest cabin for short-term accommodations. My long term vision for Salt+Sickle Homestead is to be a safe, inclusive space for both locals and visitors to gather – wether its for a learning workshop, special event or a community meal.
What inspires you to put in the work of starting a farm?
When my partner and I arrived to our home in 2022, we had never seen the property prior – a true “diamond in the rough”. Over the last 19 months, it has undergone a tremendous amount of clearing, cleaning, repairing, updating and building up to make it possible to grow food, and to be generally enjoyed. I often get feedback from neighbours/locals that they never thought they would see this property look so loved, and be well taken-care of. I am extremely privileged and honoured to be able to tend to this land, and I take the work seriously. It makes me happy to know I am doing right by the land, and that it is noticed and appreciated. Food is something needed to survive, and it’s something that can be shared, saved; something that can bring us together, and nourish us in more ways than one. Every day I’m inspired to continue this work, and while I might be new, I’m in it for the long haul. I can’t wait to share what is to come.
Get in touch with Salt & Sickle through their website and social media accounts! www.saltandsicklehomestead.com
Instagram: @saltandsickle.homestead
Facebook: Salt+Sickle Homestead
Find more information about the Business Bootcamp for New Farmers program by clicking here!
Check out the rest of this interview series!
Pinette Robinson of Fairfolk Farm
Guru Khalsa of Earthmother Farm
Brian Tattam of Tattam Valley Farms
Trent Romanow of Cluck and Clove Farm