YA Business Mentorship Network – Flowerface

Applications open for Mentees across Western Canada in October 2023. Mentor applications are accepted year-round. Check out the Business Mentorship Network page for more information!

Want to learn more about our Mentees (or Mentors)? Below you’ll find a Q&A where you can learn all about their farm and why they joined the Business Mentorship Network. If you’d like to read about the experiences of other Mentees/Mentors, head to our blog here.

Meet a Mentee: Flowerface

My name is Mayan Vered (she/her) and I run Flowerface, a cut flower farm in Saanichton, Vancouver Island on the traditional, ancestral & occupied territories of the W̱SÁNEĆ people. I’m being mentored by the knowledgeable Kristen Nammour, farm business consultant. 

What were your goals for this season and what did you do to try to achieve them? 

Some of my goals included; establishing a strong brand, increasing wholesale revenue, and booking several weddings over the 2023 season. Launching my website and streamlining ordering processes were two of the steps I took toward achieving my goals.

Did you meet your goals / did it work out? 

I didn’t meet many of my goals, but I laid a strong framework and established many relationships to continue building on for the next season. Most of the weddings I booked were through organic traffic, so I’m happy with how my brand has been performing so far. This is my second season on new land having moved my farm last fall, so despite not meeting many of my goals, I’m immensely happy with the progress I’ve made. There’s always next year!

What resources did you find most valuable to support your business during the season? 

Kristen and I worked closely together in the spring to create a marketing plan and established many systems that continued to support me throughout the busy growing season. I knew that I wouldn’t have much time to think once the season got going so getting my systems down beforehand was a huge step in helping me get through the season.

 What were your best sales channels/avenues? 

Wholesale was the one that I put the most energy into and was my biggest sales channel this season. Weddings are a developing aspect of my business.

Why do your customers buy from you (what is your unique value proposition in your market)?

I grow quality flowers that are not generally offered through traditional wholesalers as they do not ship well and many large wholesalers sell primarily imported products. I used Local Line as my ordering system this year and regularly heard from florists that it created a seamless buying process. I hold my products to high standards and hope to retain customers based on my quality cut flowers delivered on a weekly basis.

What was the most important thing you gained from the YA Business Mentorship Network Program experience? 

Honestly, the solidarity was a huge part of my benefit from the program. Starting and running a business is hard work and the program created an opportunity for me to reflect on my progress on a weekly basis which helped boost my morale and gain perspective on what I had achieved and what should be the next priority. It’s so easy to get bogged down and lost in the details when you’re right in the middle of it, so this was a great way to step back and assess. 

Marketing was a specific area of interest for me and while I still have a lot to learn I now have a specialized toolbox of skills to help me along the way. I feel more confident in my abilities to create content, market and promote my business in general. My mentor Kristen helped me create solid business goals and be able to look at the big picture.

What were one or two big, hard lessons this season you would want to share with other farmers? 

I definitely practiced the fine art of Letting Go this season. I had many big grand plans at the start of the season, but there were many points where I had to cut my losses either in crop plans or revenue streams, because as a solo farmer there is only so much I can do. At times I chose to prioritize my physical and mental wellbeing over my best-laid plans. Farming is a long game and in order to continue you have to take care of yourself.

What were one or two victories, small or large, that you had this season? 

In the spring I hosted a very successful work party and together we truly transformed part of my growing space into a productive plot. Every time I’m working in that field I’m blown away by the support and love from the farming community here.

What future plans and goals do you have for your farm and how will you achieve these? What will you do differently next year? 

I established a lot of great relationships with florists on the South Island and I’m looking forward to building on those wholesale connections in the future. I was also able to increase my wedding portfolio this season which will help me continue to book wedding clients for next season and beyond.

Now that I better understand the market that I’ve carved out for myself I’m planning on tweaking my crop plan to better serve my clientele. This will allow me to make better use of space and minimize wasted energy and crops.

Share a story of something interesting/ funny/weird that happened on your farm this season.

The landowners have two Kunekune pigs who decided to take themselves on a tour of the farm. Let me tell you, herding pigs is next to impossible, especially when there are fallen apples and tons of tasty things to eat all around!

What are you most looking forward to this winter?

Some R&R for sure! But also, a chance to regroup, process the season and plan for a smoother season next year.

Where can we find you online? 

Website: www.flowerface.ca

IG: @flowerfaceflowerfarm

FB: @flowerfaceflowerfarm

This program is made possible with the generous funding support of Vancity, Endswell Foundation and Columbia Basin Trust.