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! The BMN offers business mentorships to a diverse array of new and young farmers. Through one-on-one mentorship, peer networks and online workshops young farmers develop the skills necessary to operate ecologically sustainable and financially viable farm businesses.
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: Ravenwoodfarm
My name is Aline Steffens from Ravenwoodfarm BC. We are located in Groundbirch near Dawson Creek in the South Peace River Country, Treaty 8 territory. I received mentorship from Louise and Jed from Elderberry Grove in Secwepemculecw otherwise known as Salmon Arm, BC.
What were your goals for this season and what did you do to try to achieve them?
My goals were to grow BC wide brand awareness and increase direct customer contacts. We tried to reach out to our target audience via a wholesale strategy and joint ventures with local manufacturers.
Did you meet your goals / did it work out?
We had a really good season. We can look back on improved customer relationships within our main retail accounts and a couple of product demos at health food stores in BC and AB. We had interesting product pairings with soap and sauce manufacturers and have been in contact with a well-known Canadian ice cream producer.
What resources did you find most valuable to support your business during the season?
Resources related to managing the business were really helpful. Tools related to accounting, bookkeeping, pricing and food safety are essential for growing the business. Knowing your numbers and preparing a budget is key. Being CFIA certified, having SOPs and a prevention control plan in place provides additional advantages and opportunities to sell our products Canada wide.
What were your best sales channels/avenues?
Our best sales channel are our retailer partnerships. We are selling our products within BC and AB to smaller stores and deli shops.
Why do your customers buy from you (what is your unique value proposition in your market)?
We’re the enthusiastic farm in BC who grows and processes our own black currants into jam, concentrate and soon we’ll add juice to the product line too! Our customers appreciate our transparency and our regenerative approach. When we offer samples, nine times out of ten people prefer our black currant concentrate. We process our own berries – never using imported ones. Our customers use it for their cooking as well for making desserts. They know about the health benefits of the super berry and love the tart taste.
What was the most important thing you gained from the YA Business Mentorship Network Program experience?
I do not know where to start! I gained so much knowledge about starting a business, accounting, about procedures and processes, marketing strategies, product development and – most important – personal dedication, passion and generosity. Being part of the network supported me in my intention of starting a business and being a farmer. Providing healthy food to people and gaining knowledge about the environment is my real passion.
The mentorship helped me to start the journey and turn it into something “real”. Having support and advice from experienced people is very important. Being motivated by your mentor and sharing ideas and perspectives are key for growing your business. I always felt very well supported and consulted. We wouldn’t have reached that stage where we are now without Young Agrarians. Thank you to the whole team and especially to Melanie and Louise!
The mentorship helped me to develop a general idea of operating a business. This included which aspects need to be considered, how to set and focus on goals and how to turn raw material into a value-added revenue generating product. The mentorship impacted our overall perspective on the business. We received advice on how to operate the business in a professional and revenue generating way.
What were one or two big, hard lessons this season you would want to share with other farmers?
One hard lesson was that it takes time to start a business and I am really impatient! Second one was, you are going to make mistakes and that is totally fine. You cannot expect to grow your business overnight and you do not need to be perfect. “Step by step” – as my mentor would say. You are going to learn with every decision you make. There is no one right way. If it doesn’t feel right for you and your business, try something else!
What were one or two victories, small or large, that you had this season?
One of my victories was a couple of the product demoswe did at health food stores in BC and AB. We served black currant ice cream and people just loved it. Healthy and tasty. We are now displaying our products on their shelves and people are buying our products.
What future plans and goals do you have for your farm and how will you achieve these?
Our future plan is to increase our black currant orchard from 1⁄4 acre to 10 acres. We already started to prepare the new beds on our own land. Leasing additional land for growing lingonberries – low bush cranberries – is another plan for the future. Currently we are experimenting which variety grows best in our zone. By increasing our sales of value-added products and starting to offer u-pick options we want to continue to diversify our farm.
What will you do differently next year?
I would like to focus on my current key accounts and introduce a new product line – black currant juice. I was trying to reach out to big grocery chains without being totally prepared for them. So first I want to focus on smaller stores and – if we have the volume – starting to reach out to bigger stores all over Canada at a later stage. A slow and steady growth is more likely to be successful.
Share a story of something interesting/ funny/weird that happened on your farm this season.
On our farm there is always something “going on” and it is usually weird and crazy. Tools and equipment are disappearing and livestock is unpredictable. This year two of our bulls disappeared into the bush (no more girls apparently – bachelor time required) and then – woosh – appeared again on pasture in the fall. We looked for them for over a month. They jumped several fences on their journey. Continuing the livestock antics, a single cow is camping in the barn entrance – no, she is not supposed to be there. They are also usually on pasture. It feels sometimes like the horses are plotting against us. Freedom chickens escaping magically through an electric fence and later being found in the garden. The only “normal area” might be the black currant orchard. We will see what will happen in future. Maybe the berries will start talking to us….
What are you most looking forward to this winter?
I am looking forward to drinking fizzy black currant lemonade in front of the fireplace at – 30 degrees and thinking about all the plans for the future. I have big plans
Get connected and learn more about black currants and our farm via www.ravenwoodfarm.ca,
IG Ravenwoodfarm_BC