Check out one of the mentors available for mentorship in this year’s BMN cohort. Want to read more? Head over to our BMN Blog for more mentorship stories.

Meet a Mentor: Dana Penrice of Shoal Lake, Manitoba

Dana Penrice is committed to fostering thoughtful and innovative approaches to complex systems that shape our world. With a strong foundation from her work with Holistic Management Canada and the Human Venture Institute, Dana is passionate about helping people build resilience, resourcefulness, and adaptability. Her formal education in Animal Science (B.Sc., University of Alberta) has been enriched by her hands-on experiences in diverse environments, working with both people and nature. Dana believes in the potential for human systems to evolve and adapt for a more sustainable future. Dana is trained in teaching Holistic Management as an Accredited Professional with the Savory Institute since 2020. She has worked with producers to provide them with tools on goal setting, decision making, grazing planning, production planning, and financial planning.

Production: Together with her partner Ted Chastko and his parents, Dana and Ted own/manage 800 acres of grazing and cropland. They are located in the Aspen Parkland EcoRegion, and run 140 cow-calf pairs on the pastureland and also grow a diverse species of crops. They have been working with Understanding Ag to implement regenerative practices which include covercropping, livestock integration, and reducing chemical inputs. They also work with their local watershed district on projects that increase perennial cover and improve grazing practices. Revenue streams include grain, cattle, off farm income and some AirBnB income.

Areas of mentorship: Holistic management, grazing principles and grazing plans, ecological health monitoring, operational spreadsheets and processes, managing staff, financial planning, loans and buying land, business structures, farm safety, succession planning, and more.