Passion and dedication as an entrepreneur were important points for the keynote speaker for the Quota International of Weyburn Women of the Year awards.
Natasha Vandenhurk was the keynote speaker. She is CEO and part owner and daughter of one of the farmers. Vandenhurk began her venture at Three Farmers at the age of 24 after graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Saskatchewan. She and the team at Three Farmers are focused on creating natural, healthy foods and retailing through health stores and specialty shops across Canada.
“We began our brand with camelina oil, which was once an unknown oil across Canada.”
“Camelina oil is truly an amazing product, and people who were searching for healthy options were ready for our product.”
After finding success in their brand and for the camelina oil product, Three Farmers also introduced a roasted chickpeas product to consumers.
Natasha spoke about how valuable it was to have her sister Elysia Vandenhurk as COO and part-owner of Three Farmers, and who is also a certified Red Seal Chef. She joined Three Farmers Products after practicing the culinary arts in Toronto under celebrity chef Susur Lee. Vandenhurk’s skills in the kitchen have proven to be invaluable at Three Farmers as they continue to expand their line of natural, healthy foods.
Vandenhurk also spoke about some of the challenges she had in the initial years of running the Three Farmers company. “I had no idea that it would take over my life, dominate my every decision, affect my relationships and ultimately define who I am as a person today.”
There were many early lessons that Vandenhurk learned in those early years of the business.
“We had to find ways to be positive and find the golden lining. We basically adopted the mantra ‘Where there is a will, there is a way’. We rejoiced in the small wins.”
There was a lot of work and passion put into the business to promote the Three Farmers brand. It was also important that they got out to other provinces and took their business quite seriously.
“It was by putting ourselves out there that helped land our biggest piece of publicity to date, which was a full page spread in McLeans.”
“That really helped us to spread the message about our product and get the market growing.”
It was shortly after this opportunity, that Natasha and Elysia had their audition to pitch for the “Dragons Den”. However after their initial successful audition for the “Dragons Den”, both Natasha and Elysia felt that it wasn’t the best time to make the most of such national exposure.
“We decided to expand our line, by launching our two flavoured camelina oils and get our presence and our product into Saskatchewan, Ontario, Alberta, Manitoba and B.C.”
Vandenhurk spoke a little about the actual airing for the “Dragon’s Den”, and the offers that were made by the different ‘Dragons’, and how their initial choice affected their business.
“It was a very intense situation. It was great that there was two of us who could answer their questions,” said Vandenhurk.
The most important part of their appearance was going through the due diligence process of completing their agreement. “That process matured our business so that we went from making decisions based on gut reaction, to looking at the numbers and factual evidence,” said Vandenhurk. Even though the Three Farmers never closed the deal, Vandenhurk said that the business became a more mature company because of their experiences.
“The experience with ‘Dragon’s Den’ was a perfect example of stepping into the unknown,” said Vandenhurk. “Stepping into the unknown can be exhilarating, but it can also be scary and stressful.”
“One of the largest lessons that we learned through the entire process was how to manage that stress and deal with the highs and the lows.”
