Weekly Coffee Chat with Special Guest: Flory Sanderson!

Calling all entrepreneurs! Come have your Friday morning coffee with us at Startup Zone! Bring your business ideas, questions, and grievances and get some great advice from local, like-minded entrepreneurs! No registration required.

Coffee provided by High Tide Coffee Co.

Our special guest on October 18th is Flory Sanderson, creator of Island Hill Farm Inc!

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Flory Sanderson, Creator and sole owner of Island Hill Farm, was born in Quebec and lived her early life as a “City Slicker”, until moving to the Island and meeting her husband, Robby Sanderson.

Robby grew up in a farming family and introduced Flory into the ways of this trade and lifestyle. It wasn’t until her 3 girls, Rebecca, Jennifer and Casey, were all nearly finished High School, when Flory really took an interest into ‘Farming at its finest’.

Her girls all had horses and various animals on their farmstead that Flory helped out with and took an interest in all that it took to raise and have large Animals, but it wasn’t until her Father-in-Law, gave her her first goat, Lucy, that she really dove into farming, and all that it took.

Flory started researching and reading up on everything that there was to know and learn about raising goats, as the bond that she had with Lucy was so special, and she wanted to start her dream of owning her own business.

When Flory’s youngest Daughter became ill, she quit her full-time job as Assistant Manager at the Body Shop, to take care of her and pursue further into goats and what all they can offer.
She knew the wonders of animal therapy and how happy her goats made her, so she wanted to take her people skills and combine that with her animals, so that everyone could benefit from her dream.

She soon was hand-milking all 15 of her goats, twice a day, by herself, in order to get milk and create her own products with it. She was a small business owner, with not many people knowing of her, but she opened her doors up for small events, like birthday parties, and very quickly the word got out on how magical her farm really was.

Flory officially opened her doors up to the public as Island Hill Farm in 2013, and her popularity began to grow & grow, into the multi-operational establishment, that we know today!
Flory now has a full-time product maker for all of her Artisan products, that are made on-site and sold in her Shoppe, via her online-website, or in various other local shops around P.E.I.
She no longer has to milk by-hand, having a machine and fully licensed & Inspected milking parlour that will soon be expanding, in the hopes of being able to sell her own goats-milk cheese!

Flory is extremely active in the community, being on the board of directors for the Duke of Edinburgh program, and having her own unit on the farm, where young kids can volunteer and learn about farming and what it takes. She goes to events with her animals, hosts events at her farm and so much more!
At the end of this 2019 summer, Flory expanded further by opening up her very own Café/Farm store, where she has ice-cream, coffee, drinks & Baked goods. She also sells her farm fresh eggs and farm meats, and very soon, she will also have fresh Barista quality coffees, with her newly purchased Espresso Machine!

Flory went from being open only a few days a week and no staff, to being open YEAR-ROUND and a staff over 20 employees! Island Hill Farm is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Maritimes, getting named the Cutest Place on Earth, and this year the Proudest Place on Earth, after painting the Pride Rainbow on her overhead doors to the Main barn, for pride month & in support of her Eldest Daughter.

Flory pushed through all the naysayers and doubters within her own family and community, and never stopped believing in herself & making her dream, her reality, to which she is proud to share with everyone she meets.

Flory is a risk-taking entrepreneur who is always dreaming and creating. She is always creating new ideas and projects, creating jobs for so many of our youth and more. Keep watching Flory’s Story, as it is always going to be writing!