Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in agriculture but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Dyanna Marquardt, owner of Marquardt Ranches, located in High Prairie, AB, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
We are a Northern Alberta cattle and flower farm (Blooms & Bovine). We work with our environment to grow as much product locally as possible for markets and brides local to our area!
Tell us about yourself
I began volunteering in 2013 at a local greenhouse before my day job every morning and the occasional evening. It helped me recharge and stay grounded while I was still trying to figure out what I was going to do when I grew up. Fast forward to late 2016, and it became a full-time gig. My husband and I had bought some land on which we ran our cattle operation, and this is where I planted my first garden. Fast forward to 2019, I began to make bouquets and arrangements for locals from the flowers I had been growing. Now, with a growing family and client base, we are supplying flowers year-round to amazing Northern Alberta clients as far as a 2-hour drive away. What motivates me? The ever-changing land, the ability for the plants and animals to grow. There is always something changing, something that needs your love. But when you see people taking in what you have grown and what you have created, it is the absolute best reward!
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Happy customers, when people come to us four weeks after getting a CSA delivery and say that they still have flowers that look amazing sitting on their table, it is so rewarding to hear that.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Managing the ups and downs of the financials, there is a clear-cut busy season with our business, and it is tricky to manage the finances during the slow season.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Do what makes you happy, because if you don't love what you are doing, it will drain you.
- Invest in some great resources like courses, books, and podcasts.
- Just because everyone else is doing it doesn't mean you have to. People tend to stick to the straight and narrow and follow the crowd, but stick to your style, and people will remember you for that!
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Make a one-year, five-year, 10-year goal and vision board and revisit it often. It is okay to pivot off of that goal, but when you're struggling with decision-making, it's so easy to revisit and regroup by visiting those words or photos. It helps keep you focused on what your end goal is, even if it is ever-changing.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.marquardtranches.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marquardtranches/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marquardtranches
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.
