“ I applied for the Business Mentorship Network program to better understand how to operate this farm and ranch as a business, as well as help with the huge learning curve that goes along with it. ”
– Barb Edmonson, FireFly Ranch, BC
Young Agrarians is celebrating the eleventh year of the Business Mentorship Network (BMN) program in BC and the third 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 Western Canada open in October 2025. Mentor applications are accepted year-round. Want to be notified when applications open for the 2026 cohort? Click below!
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: Firefly Ranch
My name is Barb Edmonson of Firefly Ranch, my mentor is Jody Stump of Crystal Ranch. Firefly Ranch is situated on a sub-alpine plateau at the base of the Marble Mountains north of Clinton, BC; on the traditional lands of the Secwépemc people.
I co-owned the ranch for several years before landing the opportunity to farm full time due to circumstances that arose as a result of Covid in 2020. Even growing up in the city of Vancouver, I always felt a connection to the land and dreamed of living in the country.
The ranch is a sole proprietorship and is 710 acres, with every part of it having a purpose. I have 350 acres in forage production, and the remainder is grazing and pasture land. The ranch was originally purchased by mortgaging our farm in Langley. I originally bought it with my then-husband and have since bought him out in 2022, and now I manage the ranch myself. I learned to farm with a lot of help from neighbours, and by getting my hands dirty. Experience is the best teacher.
What types of ecological farm practices and/or responses to climate change realities do you engage in?
There is noticeably less snow in recent years. I have improved the flooding as well as drainage capabilities of my hay fields.
What informational resources do you use regularly, or have used in the past, to operate your farm business?
Jody, my mentor, is a huge resource whom I am fortunate to have access to. BC Cattlemen’s newsletters are a great source for programs and information, which is how I found out about Young Agrarians! I applied for the Business Mentorship Network program to better understand how to operate this farm and ranch as a business, as well as help with the huge learning curve that goes along with it.
What is the greatest challenge you face as a new farmer?
I would have to say the weather has and always will be the greatest challenge.
What business tools could you not live without?
My phone and social media. Most of my business is done via Facebook Marketplace. All communication, be it email, messaging, or direct phone calls, is accessed via my cell, which I carry 24/7.