Farmers may find themselves daydreaming about taking an idea for a value-added product and scaling up into a full-fledged side business. However, moving from idea to launch takes hard work, determination, understanding the end-user – and maybe even a little luck.
Seize the opportunity
Colin Rosengren, Ron Emde and Dan Vandenhurk — the Three Farmers — started selling their camelina oil at farmers’ markets in Saskatchewan.
Today, after 13 years in business, the company sells its camelina oil, chickpea, pea and lentil snacks Canada-wide and is run by Vandenhurk’s two daughters, Natasha and Elysia. The founding farmers are on the board of directors.
For Natasha Vandenhurk, the company gave her a challenge straight out of economics school at the University of Saskatchewan.
She quickly realized that to advance the business, she needed someone to speak to the product’s health benefits. That’s when she enlisted her sister, Elysia, a Red Seal chef.
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