General degree - Global Development studies, Queen's University - with a focus on food systems
General farming (3 years or less) - 3 years on three different organic veggie + flower farms in Squamish BC, Pemberton BC, and Battersea ON
Other experience/agricultural/business training - In the winters I work as a Sustainability consultant for small businesses that want to integrate social and environmental impact into their business plans. This experience has given me a lot of insight into how to run a business well and thoughtfully. I have also served on the board of Farmfolk CityFolk for about 3 years where I have learned a lot about food policy as well as governance-related skills.
Do you have a business plan?
Yes - I took a small business course with BCIT to develop a business plan. This, along with several free courses through Young Agrarians, Kitchen Table Consultants, Dan Brisebois spreadsheet academy and more.
Do you have financial resources available to start your farm?
Yes - I have some savings and am open/interested to getting a loan or finding investors
Do you have access to other financial resources (such as a financial partner, loan, etc.) to start your farm?'
No - At this time I don't believe I need further financial support but once I feel confident in my skills as a farmer and have more solid projections I will look to grants, loans, investors, etc to grow my farm
Project
Farm Name
Two Sisters Farms
Farm Project Description
My twin sister Natalie and I have had a dream to start a community based, sustainable farm for many years and when the pandemic came and jumbled up our lives we decided it was time to start taking active steps towards this dream. I am based in Squamish and my sister is in Pemberton looking for land there. Our idea is that we'd run two separate farms but share a customer-base, expenses, etc.
Our mission is: We are in business to serve, delight in, and share the value of farming. For it is in the growing of food that we truly experience and celebrate our dependency on the earth, each other, and powers unimaginable.
Together we work both in and on the business. Currently I only have a small garden space in Squamish so I grow only a small amount for Two Sisters Farms. I mainly do the office-work, such as tracking our financials, managing our marketing strategy, and more! My sister Natalie currently works mostly "in" our business growing around 2,000 square feet of flowers with the support and guidance of farming friends. Currently we are growing dry flowers for bouquets that we sell to individual consumers and hopefully some cafes/restaurants come the fall. We hope to slowly expand our business to sell a few different vegetable products also direct to consumer and wholesale.
As we develop as farmers we also would like to build our business to include small events. We hope to use the farm as a means to connect with our local community and the land we are on. We want to host educational talks, seasonal long table dinners for everyday consumers, and support other community events that share the joy in farming in a way that benefits both the consumer and the farming industry.
Preferred Arrangement
Registered Lease on Title -
Lease -
Transfer / Succession -
Sale of Land -
Duration of the desired agreement
1-3+ years
Ideal date to obtain land by
September 2024
Land & Features Desired
Total Land Size (acres)
1-2
Wooded Area (acres)
No
Cultivable Area (acres)
1-2
Possibility to expand area currently available (acres)
Yes - I would love to run events (e.g. long table dinners) on this land in the future if possible!
Zoning
Either
Preferred current state of the surface of the cultivable area
Tilled earth, previously organically farmed. Clear of bramble. Mostly sunny.
Open to landowner residing on property
Yes - I am totally happy to see and speak with the owner however I would hope working hours would be respected and I could come/go freely!
Need farm buildings
Yes - I would love space to store equipment and clean/store products. If there is no farm buildings I would like the opportunity to build something
Need fenced land
Yes - This would be ideal, but not required
Need farm machinery and tools
Yes - Access to a BCS would be ideal, but not required
Need established water source and infrastructure
I would like to be able to have access to a well/faucet and pump for various forms of irrigation (drip, sprinkler, etc)
Need on-site housing
No
Production type
Vegetable - some root vegetables, brassicas, etc
Greenhouse - for tomatoes, cucumbers, basil, some flowers
