“I want to learn all the ins and outs of a farm business before I ever expand. I want my ½ acre to be as efficient as possible.”
– Brian Tattam of Tattam Valley Farms, British Columbia
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 farm business mentorship to a diverse array of new and young farmers. The mentorship is offered over the course of a year. 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: Tattam Valley Farms
I am Brian Tattam (He/Him) from Tattam Valley Farms. My mentors are Robin Tunnicliffe and Sasha Kubicek at Sea Bluff Farm. I farm in the Glenora area of the Cowichan Valley, the unceded territory of the Quw’utsun peoples.
What inspired you to get into farming?
I have always grown something in my life, from vegetables to flowers, or even house plants, and when I moved back to the Cowichan Valley, I grew a large vegetable garden for myself on the family farm. In 2020, there was a wake-up call about food security, and I really wanted to contribute to the local food supply. I think eating local food is good for the environment and good for a person’s health.
I learned how to grow vegetables from my grandparents, parents, and my aunt and uncle. To grow on a larger farm scale, I learned from the internet, Young Agrarians, some courses and trial and error. I am impatient when I learn a new thing or skill one year and must wait a whole year to implement the new technique or knowledge.
Tell us about the structure of your farm.
Tattam Valley Farms is a sole proprietorship. I have close to a ½ an acre fenced in. Some of that land is a meadow and has fruit trees. The vegetables are about a 1/3rd of an acre. I am lucky and can use some of my family farmland – my parents own 100 acres where they used to dairy farm. Because of this, I have not had to access any financing to buy land and start my business.
What types of ecological farm practices and/or responses to climate change realities do you engage in?
I farm in an organic way with no chemicals used. I do one till in the spring and let the garden rest all winter with the old crops mulching down. I use 100% dripline, which saves on water. I grow crops that do well in our climate. A lot of the work done is by hand and not by machines so less fuel is used.
Why did you apply for business mentorship? What are your primary business goals for the season?
I wanted to take my skills to the next level and also learn new ones. I have growing skills, but I need help on how to streamline my business and be more accountable with my spending and cashflow. I want to learn all the ins and outs of a farm business before I ever expand. I want my ½ acre to be as efficient as possible. Some of my business goals are to learn more about the finances of farming, build a website, crop plan with efficiency, and increase my customers from 30 to 40 this year.
What is the greatest challenge you face as a new farmer?
I think the biggest challenge is learning all the new skills and having enough time. I work full time as a high school teacher, which allows me the summer to focus on my farm, but spring and fall are very busy. I think finding or asking for help can be a challenge as well, because I don’t have a lot of money to pay workers as a small business.
What are some resources and business tools that have been helpful on your farming journey?
I have used books like Crop Planning for Organic Vegetable Growers, and All the Dirt, where one of the authors is my mentor, Robin Tunnicliffe. I have also used various YouTube videos and channels. One YouTube channel I like is Sow the Land, where I learned how to make a washing table. I also use some of the seed companies’ websites such as West Coast Seeds and Johnny’s Seeds to learn new information.
I have been learning QuickBooks for the last 4 years and it has been helpful tracking my receipts, building a customer list, and sending out invoices and receipts. I also use Microsoft Forms to have my customers signup for their CSA veggie box, and Excel to build timetables and pick-up schedules.
How can we find out more about you, your farm, and its products?
Website: tattamvalleyfarms.ca
Facebook: @tattamvalleyfarms