“Sometimes I think the actual work is the easy part and it’s all the other stuff I didn’t anticipate about being self-employed that keeps it interesting.

I get to build different things everyday—people bring me a drawing and I make it happen. Like taking a thought and making it real, physical, tangible—there’s a lot of power in that.”

Heloise Dixon-Warren
Moose Meadows Farm, Quesnel

It all started with such a simple plan...

As many entrepreneurs know, not all plans end up as envisioned. When the smallest farm land they could find to purchase was 65 acres, Dixon-Warren foresaw greater opportunities.

“It quickly became obvious that for our farm to work, we needed to be diverse,” says Dixon-Warren. “The farm incorporates agritourism, agriforestry, non-timber forest products such as Christmas trees, birch syrup, evergreen floral (wreaths, swags and garland) in addition to more traditional farm products like free-range eggs, alpaca and llama fibre products, horse pasture and wild jellies.”

Last year Dixon-Warren was an instrumental player in the establishment of FARMED (Farming - Agriculture - Rural - Marketing - Eco – Diversification), an organization dedicated to providing networking, partnerships, mentoring and educational opportunities for its members. Being the President of FARMED has allowed for many strategic alliances and partnerships.

“The group has been incredibly well received at the local, regional and provincial levels of government,” say Dixon-Warren. “By creating this organization, agricultural producers, with an interest in diversification, have a voice in our local area.” A project the group just completed is a Farm Tour Brochure showcasing 12 different local farms. Dixon-Warren’s farm has been able to benefit from marketing, education and partnerships that may not otherwise have been possible.

Dixon-Warren has experienced a lot of change and growth in her business in the last five and a half years. Her words of wisdom for women looking to grow a business of their own: “Adapt… or die. We try very hard to adapt to market trends rather than trying to direct them. It comes down to listening to your customers and making sure you stay ahead of the market to meet their needs”.

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