For Borna National Farms Ltd., a family-owned farm in Dewdney, BC, growth means more than increasing production. Growth means building the systems and processes needed to meet the expectations of customers, retailers and future markets.

With support from the Traceability Adoption Program (TAP) under Stream 1: Traceability Adoption for Private Business, Borna National Farms undertook a project to strengthen traceability across its quail egg operation.

As the business expands across markets in BC and Canada, the farm adopted a more efficient and accurate digital traceability system to replace their paper-based record keeping system. The project resulted in better lot tracking and product identification through the supply chain.

The funding enabled Borna National Farms to work with a consultant to develop a practical traceability program tailored to the operation. In addition, farm staff received training on new traceability systems.

The project included the installation and configuration of farm-wide network infrastructure to provide reliable connectivity for traceability tools and devices. New tablets, barcode scanners and label printers were purchased to support the transition to a centralized digital system. These investments improved data accuracy and were key in completing a food safety audit and obtaining licensing to access new markets.

Saeiedeh Alavian, Director of Borna Family Farms, reflected on the impact of the project: “As a small family-owned farm, every investment we make has a direct impact on our ability to grow. The Traceability Adoption Program gave us the opportunity to adopt technology and systems that would otherwise have been difficult for us to implement on our own.

“For us, traceability is not just about keeping records. It gives our customers, retailers, and partners confidence in the safety and quality of our products. The program helped us build a stronger foundation for our business and directly supported our ability to market our products, reach new customers, and continue growing as a Canadian family farm.”

With the help of TAP, Borna National Farms has built a stronger foundation for future growth, improving its resilience, enhancing market readiness, and positioning the business to serve a broader customer base with confidence. Funding for TAP is provided by the Governments of Canada and British Columbia through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative. The program is delivered by IAF.