Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Tracy Robertson, co-owner of Stony Mountain Farm, located in Buffalo Creek, BC, Canada.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Stony Mountain Farm is a small mixed livestock farm located on our ranch in Buffalo Creek about 20 mins north/east of 100 Mile House in the South Cariboo Region of BC. Our farm started in 2008 on our small homestead in Squamish Valley with the addition of 50 laying hens. These hens sparked a lifestyle change in us that we've been focused on for the past 14yrs. Our farm has grown and expanded more than I ever dreamed it could, and in the summer of 2021, we moved the farm's location from Squamish to our ranch in Buffalo Creek.

Tell us about yourself

We raise laying hens for eggs, heritage meat chickens, holiday turkeys, farrow to finish heritage pork, and Icelandic sheep for lamb and fiber on our farm. We strive to raise regeneratively and ethically. This summer, we'll be producing our own hay for our sheep and hope to produce some of our own grains in the future. Our belief in whole animal butchery also led to a small line of lard based soaps I make using leftover fat from our market pigs, as well as a partnership with Salt and Thyme in Langley, who prepare bone broth soups and other prepared meals for us using products we otherwise don't have much of a market for. Our products are available at farmer's markets throughout the Sea to Sky Corridor and Lower Mainland, our online shop, and our recently launched Ranch Club Monthly Subscription Box. We're also working towards an on-farm shop in Buffalo Creek and have products available at the Indoor Farmers Market at Crafters Market in 100 Mile House.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Our biggest accomplishment, I'd have to say, is the relationships we have with our customers. I feel so proud; so many choose us to help feed their families. So many have been rooting us since the beginning, and their support means the world to me. We would be where we are without them.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

I'd have to say the hardest thing is downtime. As a small business owner, your business becomes your focus, but it's your life as a farmer. We don't have much of an on/off switch as our animals run the show, and if something happens with them, all other priorities shift. I also feel guilty if I do take downtime thinking I should be out doing something.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Focus on one thing to start and do it well, then expand on it. I'm someone notorious for taking on too much at once.
  2. Outsource where you can. I thought I could do my own books for years; then, I realized it was not for me and hired a bookkeeper and accountant.
  3. If you can, join a business group or group coaching. I joined one which focuses specifically on farmers and find it helps keep me motivated, gives me new ideas for growth, and keeps me up to date with social media. Also, I've developed some great relationships with those in my group

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Celebrate the small successes every day and enjoy.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.stonymtnfarm.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StonyMountainFarm
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stonymtnfarm/

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.