Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Ajmin Seikhon, Founder of Buddha Berry Farm, located in Abbotsford, BC, Canada.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Buddha Berry Farm presents North America's first line of Blueberry Leaf tea blends. Our leaves are locally harvested in Abbotsford, BC, and used to create premium loose-leaf tea blends. Blueberry leaves, although similar to white tea and green tea leaves, are actually caffeine-free and contain 31 times more antioxidants and phytonutrients than Blueberry itself.

We believe Blueberry leaves are sacred vessels that carry highly potent nutrients from the root of the plant to the Berry. These nutrients are what make the Blueberry a renowned superfood, bursting with antioxidants and natural substances that aid our bodies in preserving brain health, maintaining healthy joints, preventing Type 2 Diabetes, and more.

Blueberry leaves are responsible for bringing some of the world's most beneficial food to life. Nourishing the plant through all stages of its life, as it flourishes year after year. Allowing the Berry to survive cold winters and stormy nights. These leaves restore the Berry's ability to bloom with grace, come to Spring and feed our community. Come, Summer! All the more reason to bring this blend from farm to cup.

May this Blueberry Leaf blend allow you to nourish yourself as you continue to flourish through each season of your life and bloom with grace despite the storms you may be facing through body, mind, and spirit.

Tell us about yourself

My name is Ajmin, and I was born and raised on a Blueberry farm in Abbotsford, B.C. Throughout my own educational journey, I became passionate about holistic health and wellness. Eventually, this led me to grow curious about the plants I had been surrounded by my whole life.

In 2017 I began my research on the Blueberry Leaf and its many benefits, as well as the impressive potency of antioxidants, anthocyanins, and other phytonutrients that the leaf contains. The deeper I dove, the more I began to realize the simple innovation of Blueberry Leaf Tea blends would be significant for the wellness of my local community and the heart of the agricultural community.

I never thought in a million years that all the distances I went to learn and educate myself, from the Okanagan to Indonesia, would lead me back home to the Fraser Valley to combine my passion for holistic health and yoga medicine with my family's strong roots in agriculture and farming. I am grateful for the opportunity to merge my personal passions with my ancestor's mastery of agriculture.

With this, I have made it my mission to take my passion for the power of Blueberry Leaf Tea and put it into the hands of others with purpose. As I continue to present Buddha Berry Farm's Blueberry Leaf Tea blends, I aspire to educate our community and create a new mindset around having reverence for the whole Blueberry plant and the power nature holds. I am the daughter of a Farmer, aiming to encourage my community to live a wholesome life through body, mind, and soul.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

This was a project that I initially began with my Dad. We brainstormed this project together and planned to launch it when I finished Medicine school in 2024. However, my Dad passed away from a sudden illness. So after walking away from big educational plans at 21 years old and taking the time to collect myself, I carried on with the research and saved up the funds to launch my dream business.

I will always be proud of myself for finishing what we started together, despite how daunting it was on all fronts. I am thankful for the support I got from the Abbotsford Community Foundation, as they awarded my company with a portion of the funds to launch what was considered an agricultural innovation for our community.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

The hardest part, especially as a new business, is being a "one-man-band," so to speak. I hope to scale up and hand off the little tasks to a bigger team soon so I can focus solely on the heart of my business, which I believe drives my product.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Be excited about your product and believe in your own product!
  2. You are guaranteed to sell a lot more of your product when you are literally standing right behind it and talking about it wholeheartedly. (i.e. farmers markets/tradeshows).
  3. Take it one day at a time, and don't forget to celebrate every little accomplishment along the way.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

If you're interested in learning more about the benefits of Blueberry Leaf Tea or supporting our small business via the online shop, check out our website.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.buddhaberryfarm.ca/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/buddhaberryfarm/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buddhaberryfarm/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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