Young Agrarians is celebrating the tenth year of the Business Mentorship Network (BMN) program in BC and the second year of the program in the Prairies! If you are a new farmer or the next generation to take on your family farm and need support to figure out the business aspects of your farm consider applying for the 2024/2025 cohort. The BMN offers business mentorships to a diverse array of new and young farmers/ranchers/producers. 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.
Apply for the 2024/2025 program here – applications processed in October .
Check out the Business Mentorship Network page for more information!
Over the next few weeks we will introduce you to each of the new farmers in the 2024 cohort to hear about the arc of their farming journey, what their hopes are for the season ahead and what inspired them to reach out for business mentorship. To access more of these stories head over to our blog here.
Meet a Mentee: Veronique Emmett at Frozen Coast Farm
My name is Véronique Emmett (she/her) and my farm is called Frozen Coast Farm. My mentor is Robin Tunnicliffe from Sea Bluff Farm. Frozen Coast Farm is located on unceded lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ territories (Saanich, BC).
What inspired you to get into farming?
My background is as a professional dancer and I worked for many years in outdoor education. My initial interest in farming came from a love of food and exploring the natural world. As I spend more time in the field, my passion continues to be fueled by the joy, community, and culture of sharing food and building a resilient and sustainable local food system.
How did you learn how to farm?
I learned how to farm through an apprenticeship at ALM Farm in 2018 through SOIL. For the past three years, I had been running the Frozen Coast Farm at the Sandown Center for Regenerative Agriculture where I received mentorship and connected with other local farmers.
What informational resources do you use on a regular basis or have you used in the past to operate your farm business?
The Market Gardener, The New Organic Gardener, All the Dirt, and The Lean Farm are a few of the books that have really helped me figure out some of my systems for the farm. Connecting with other farmers in the community has been my biggest resource. We’re all facing similar challenges so there is a lot of troubleshooting together.
Tell us about your farm.
Tell us about your farm.Frozen Coast Farm is a sole proprietorship and I used my personal savings to start the farm business. Frozen Coast Farm is on 0.9 acres of land and I grow a mix of organic vegetables, fruits, and berries for market, CSA, and wholesale. I lease land at Haliburton Community Organic Farm which is an incubator farm. There are three farm businesses on site and we share certain resources such as a walk-in cooler, processing area, and a farmstand. I am fortunate to be on an incubator farm where there are a lot of shared resources, reducing my initial start-up costs and allowing me to buy more costly assets over time.
What types of ecological farm practices and/or responses to climate change realities do you engage in?
Frozen Coast Farm is certified organic and I implement regenerative practices as much as possible such as low-till, mulching, and cover cropping. My goal is to leave the land, soil, and surrounding ecosystems healthier than when I started.
Why did you apply for business mentorship? What do you hope to work on this year in your mentorship?
I applied for the business mentorship program because I recognized the immense value of shared knowledge from other farmers in my community and I wanted to learn from people who have built successful and thriving farm businesses. Through my mentorship, I hope to develop systems that will give the farm a strong footing to carry me through the growing season without burning out.
What is the greatest business challenge you face as a new farmer?
You have to wear all the hats! You’re not only just the grower, but you’re the bookkeeper, the marketing manager, customer relations, irrigation specialist… It’s a lot to learn all at once and it can be challenging to divide your time between all the necessary tasks when all you really want to do is be out in the field growing food.
What are your primary business goals for the season?
My goal for this year is to build my farm business towards being financially sustainable for myself. This will look like increasing certain sales channels and also creating systems that will allow for growth without over stretching my work load.
What business tools could you not live without?
Spreadsheets and clipboards! There’s a lot of recordkeeping, having it all organized and easy to fill out when things get hectic mid season is key. And if it were not yet clear, the farm community. If it were not for the incredibly supportive community of farmers on Southern Vancouver Island, I would have quit at least eight times already.
How can we find out more about you, your farm, and its products?
You can find the farm on instagram and facebook @frozencoastfarm
You can head to frozencoastfarm.com to learn more about the farm, sign up for our CSA, and sign up for our newsletter!
Or come say hello in person at Moss St. Market this season!
This program is made possible in BC with the generous funding support of Vancity and Endswell Foundation.