COUNTRY LIFE IN BC • DECEMBER 2018


41 Communication key to four-way success


North Okanagan couples join forces to live the farmstead dream


by TOM WALKER ENDERBY—Owning their


own farm was a dream for two young urban couples, and collaboration, planning and sharing has made it a reality. “We used to go on hiking trips together,” recalls Brittany Bennett, who with her husband Gavin Wright are half of Enderberry Farm in the North Okanagan. “We would sit around the


campfire and talk about how great it would be to get out of the city, but we didn’t want to do it on our own,” she says. Britt and Gavin knew Emily


Jubenvill and her husband Owen Madden from working together at the UBC farm. There were social events at the farm, but not a lot of time to build a plan. “On another camp out, we made a wish list,” says Emily. This was the start of a formal process that led the two couples to co-own their own farm on the west bench above Enderby. “Working together makes the whole farm so much more viable,” explains Emily. “For everything from the mortgage on down to buying a tractor and putting in an irrigation system, we are able to share the cost and share the work.” A tip from a friend in


Armstrong led them to the area and a 21-acre property, formerly an asparagus farm and later a sheep operation. “I didn’t remember the house because we were only in it for five minutes,” says Emily. “But there were outbuildings that had power, lots of water and a forested area along the edge of the property.”


Banks didn’t want to finance joint title for four people from out of town at first, but the couples persevered. “We found a mortgage


broker who sat down and grilled us each for over an


hour,” says Emily. “He realized we were good people, he liked our urban farm experience and Britt’s horticulture diploma, and he went to bat for us.” The result was a mortgage


that worked out to less than the couples were spending on rent in Vancouver. The four contribute to a joint account that feeds the mortgage and holds funds for immediate repairs. The group had originally


talked about doing business together as one but opted against a formal partnership because everyone had off- farm jobs to begin with. (Gavin and Owen continue to work full-time off-farm with the Pacific Agricultural Certification Society in Vernon.) Gavin and Britt were also expecting their first child, so they opted to farm independently but market collectively under the Enderberry brand. Rather than embrace a legal structure for the business, such as a farm co-op, the couples engaged in a goal-setting session which they review annually. There’s plenty of communication in between, mostly between Britt and Emily. “We sat down and laid out a huge plan on paper with all of our goals so that we could continue working without having to check back constantly,” Britt explains. “Now we have a general guideline to go back to; we are not just going to do something completely out of the blue.” Emily enrolled in the Young


Agrarians mentorship program to help with the start up of her market garden. “Rob Hettler from Pilgrim’s


Produce has been amazing; he and Kathryn have been in the area for so long,” says Emily. “Other farmers in the area have also been so generous with farmer conversations.”


Team effort: Brittany Bennett, left, and Emily Jubenvill, with their spouses, have created a successful market garden and orchard. Goal-setting and sticking to the plan are key. TOM WALKER PHOTO


Britt built her business plan and accessed support from Community Futures, which allowed her to get back to work after her daughter was born.


Enderberry has four acres under cultivation, including a 2,500-square-foot greenhouse. Emily has some 40 varieties of vegetables and herbs, while Britt is raising raspberries strawberries, apples, plums pears and peaches. Emily adds her home-made preserves, Britt’s


fruit and eggs from their chickens to the 40 CSA boxes and her stall at the Enderby and Revelstoke farmers’ markets.


All their crops go into Britt’s


roadside stand on Friday afternoons to catch locals on their way home for the weekend. Growing the stand’s customer base is a future goal. “We hope to evolve into a


kind of local farm market with other products like honey and meat,” says Britt.


Emily adds that she is


planning on reducing the number of crops she grows. “After two years of farmers


markets, I know what I can grow well and what I can sell,” she says. “The communication piece


is vital,” says Britt reflecting on the success of the partnership. “Although it was time- consuming working out our original goals and our yearly plan and putting them on paper, everyone understands it and we have a base to work from.”


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