Meet Sabrina Bouwman
Sabrina Bouwman, an inspiring young businesswoman, is a true example of entrepreneurial success, juggling multiple activities with confidence. I went to chat with this fascinating woman at her property on 7e Rang in the Municipality of Lochaber, in the Outaouais region, to hear her story.
Sabrina is the owner and only employee of Bergerie Bouwman Érablière. She has 60 head of sheep and 2,300 maple taps on 300 acres of land and forest that she’s acquired gradually over the past few years. She also has a small animal transport company and a horse boarding facility, and her little farm raises a few cows, pigs, and chickens. She also has an on-site boutique where she sells products from her farm, as well as products handmade by none other than herself! Her ability to lead and thrive in a variety of fields is a testament not only to her boundless energy, but also to her business sense and results-driven strategic intelligence. That said, Sabrina is very humble—when she reads this, she’ll probably have a hard time believing we’re describing her. Well, we most certainly are! After all, recognition most often comes from the outside, not the inside. You just need to accept it.
Sabrina has always had a connection to agriculture, ever since she was a little girl. Her grandfather had a dairy farm, and even though that chapter ended when Sabrina was very little, it was clear that agriculture ran in the family. Her parents also owned a butchery and slaughterhouse, so she had first-hand experience of the other end of the agricultural chain: food processing and sales.
Before starting her own business, Sabrina tried her hand at cattle farming in Alberta, working for three years on a farm that calved 1,000 cows a year. Upon her return, she worked in her parents’ butchery and slaughterhouse, but her entrepreneurial spirit soon took over. She decided to run her own business and bought her current property in Lochaber, which she has now been operating and expanding for four years. To pay for this purchase, she held a number of jobs, including volunteer firefighter, waitress, driver for her own transport company, slaughterhouse worker, and evening milker on a dairy farm! It has to be said: such determination is impressive.
“When I first bought my farm, I had 75 acres and 10 sheep. The sugar bush had 200 taps and a small evaporator, but I quickly decided I wanted more taps. So, with a good friend who lives down the road, we set off into the woods after Googling instructions on how to tap. We added 200 taps, but it turns out the evaporator was way too small! We had to boil day and night for 3 weeks to get through all our sap! It’s a good thing I had help when I started! I had neighbours give me hay for my animals to welcome me to the area, and other neighbours—dairy farmers—were always there to lend a hand, like when I was boiling sap around the clock.” While she’s made her own way thanks to her impressive initiative, she makes a point of saying that she cherishes the support of those around her. They’ve often given her the strength to persevere and see her projects through. Whether it’s her dad with his knowledge and quiet strength, her mother-in-law, her friends, or neighbours, she’s very grateful for the support she’s received. She’s also very proud of what she’s accomplished on her own: her sugar shack, for example, which she built with her own hands. Sure, her contractor dad gave her some sound advice, but she did all the hands-on work!
In very little time, she bought all of a neighbour’s land, which allowed her to increase her number of taps considerably. Since she didn’t get a quota the first year she applied, she turned her disappointment into an opportunity by buying all her processing equipment! She has also set up a mobile boutique to promote her meats and maple products at local markets.
Despite her packed schedule, she’s involved with her local agricultural producers’ union, and will occasionally organize evening get-togethers so fellow farmers can get out and socialize. Sabrina’s driven by her passion, certainly, but also by her big heart.
Reassured by CDL’s presence
Sabrina has been doing business with CDL since the very beginning, and she appreciates how the representatives supporting her have shown her ways to save time and money. For her, the CDL Intelligence system, which she manages from her phone, is a marvel of efficiency!
“I can go out for a whole day without worrying because I keep an eye on everything from my cell phone! It’s also very reassuring to know that you can talk to an expert who can help you remotely. I plan to gradually adopt an intelligent system for my operations from A to Z, which is why I was the first to equip myself with an intelligent concentrator in the Outatouais region. This year, my goal is to get 10,000 taps. Next year, I’ll be focusing more on my sheep. I plan to modernize and expand, because I want to increase my flock to 100 heads.”
“This year, when I did my tapping at the end of January, I was told that it was far too early, but I don’t regret it! I didn’t want to lose a drop of maple sap, and I didn’t!” Good entrepreneurs are said to trust their instincts.
Sabrina embodies a unique combination of strength and leadership, which makes her not only impressive professionally, but also admirable as a person. CDL is very proud to have a customer like Sabrina Bouwman.
