REGINA —Since 2015, the Young Agrarians Business Mentorship Network (BMN) has been supporting new and young farmers to develop the skills, knowledge and confidence to manage their farm businesses by pairing them with experienced farm owners in their sector to provide mentorship.
Young Agrarians is offering the program again this year, supporting up to 10 mentorship pairings in each Western Canadian province: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Along with 30 hours of one-on-one mentorship, the program offers an eight-week financial literacy webinar series that focuses on developing business skills to operate a farm business that is financially sustainable.
The program provides opportunities to network with other young farmers across Western Canada, which is an important aspect of supporting new farmers to access and build relationships with their peers in the sector.
The Business Mentorship Network began in British Columbia in 2013 and expanded in 2022 to Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. To date, the program has worked with 163 farmers on 118 farms who have been paired with 75 mentors. During their mentorship year, mentees reported an average increase in revenues of 87 per cent, volume of food produced by 65 per cent and land in production by 42 per cent.
The Young Agrarians Business Mentorship Network fosters strong rural communities by growing support networks for experienced and new farmers to collaborate together and create opportunities for knowledge succession.
“Learning that I am not alone and that others are trying to contribute to and improve our local food system has had a significant positive impact on my energy and hope for the future,” says 2023 BMN mentee Terra Pombert of Sunflowers Urban Farm.
“This experience has been important for better business planning, focus and confidence in my venture and skills. I have a better understanding of my strengths and weaknesses as a farmer
Farmers eligible to apply to the Business Mentorship Network are in their first one to five years in business and located in one of the Western Canada provinces. This includes new farm operations as well as those taking over the family farm business. Building a strong business foundation on top of the challenges of farming can feel overwhelming but with the support of the program and the mentors, new farmers confidence and clarity grows. The program is inclusive of a wide range of production types. Priority is given to new farmers between the ages of 18 and 35 but new farmers over 35 are strongly encouraged to apply.
Applications for the 2025 mentee cohort are open until Oct. 31, and mentor applications are received year round.
For more information and to apply, visit: https://youngagrarians.org/business-mentorship-network/
To learn more about this program, please contact the Business Mentorship team at [email protected]
