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 small farms and was inspired by the dedication of farmers and cheesemakers to exchange knowledge and celebrate food heritage within their communities.
Why did you apply for business mentorship? Last year was our first season, and managing the vegetables and animals while setting up the farm infrastructure quickly took up most of our time while some of the business management parts of our farm became less of a focus. We applied for the business mentorship to clarify our goals and make sure our farm will be financially sustainable.
What is the greatest business challenge you face as a young farmer? The greatest challenge was to shift our goals and priorities to ensure our farm remains financially sustainable.
What is your primary business goal for the season? Increase early season production, increase restaurant sales and expand our weekly farm gate sales.
What business tools could you not live without? Quickbooks has definitely made going through all of our receipts and expense tracking easier.
If you had a farming robot what would it be? Automatic precision weeder with organically approved laser beams.
How can we find out more about you, your farm, and its products?
Website: https://turtlecreekfarm.wordpress.com/
FB @turtlecreekfarmbc
Insta @turtlecreekfarm_oliverbc
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.