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entrepreneurs under one roof

There’s a new crew in town offering fresh produce, deli items, coffee and lunch.

In a freshly-painted space overlooking Sooke Harbour a group of young entrepreneurs has set up shop. Farmer’s Daughter, is the umbrella for three micro-businesses and is the brainchild of Kate Naugler who saw a need and went ahead to fill it.

Farmer’s Daughter, located at 6631 Sooke Road, is a fresh concept in entrepreneurship. It brings together three small businesses under one roof in order to offer customers everything from smoked pork and cheese to lunch time panninis and fresh produce.

Kate Naugler really is a farmer’s daughter. She grew up in Nova Scotia on a blueberry farm and her life was rural in all senses of the word. She laughingly calls herself a “bluenoser.”

After finishing school with a Bachelor’s degree in commerce and entrepreneurship, from the Sobey School of Business in Halifax she headed out. She started a business in Nova Scotia but soon realized the rest of Canada was calling her. She shortlisted four cities and checked each one of them out, but she couldn’t imagine herself living far from the sea. Victoria and the West Coast were the last on her list and the fertile, abundant soil was a draw for Naugler.

“I wanted to plant a seed,” said Naugler. Circumstances led her to Sooke and she hasn’t looked back.

The towns on the south shore of Nova Scotia are remarkable in that they were not pretentious or particularly “touristy” but rather a lot like Sooke, says Naugler.

“When the opportunity came to move to Sooke, I loved it,” she said, “The economic recession did me a favour, it left me with no strings attached.”

After going to a Sooke Food CHI meeting she combined her schooling and experience with an idea. She had met a number of young entrepreneurs who all had similar visions, and they all wanted to have a place where local farmers could sell their produce year round.

With a mere $15 in her pocket Naugler started the ball rolling on her business plan.

“We had the skills to make it happen,” said Naugler. “One of the biggest milestones was getting financing.”

She found out Coast Capital Savings provides micro-financing through a community lending program.

“They fund not through collateral but on the viability of a business as well as the plans and skills of a management team,” she said. “I had nothing to lose but I am taking everything I have and know to make it work.”

The entrepreneurs are Ryan Delay, Kate Naugler and Michael Vultier. Farmer’s daughter also includes Joshua Koile and employee Kerry O’Gorman.

They have been open for a couple of weeks and Naugler said they sold 8,000 lbs. of fruit before they came close to opening their door. The fresh local produce has become so popular that after 16 days they have not had to throw anything out.

With those sides of the business picking up speed, the crew wants to expand their repertoire to include wellness providers who use the premises in the evenings and perhaps a little night music.

“I’m surprised,” said Naugler, “it’s all about connections and who you know. Many people I’ve met I feel I’ve known them forever, and the welcome of the community has made it all possible.”