1. Fifth Town: Cheese On A Mission
Entrepreneurship 101, MaRS Feb 1st, 2011

2. Artisan Cheese Maker

4. Cheese on a Mission!
• Demonstrate possibilities of sustainable
commerce and small scale dairying
• Catalyst for change: improving access to
wholesome, authentic, locally and
sustainably produced food
• Bringing diverse walks of life together by
working together to bridge divides...

5. FT Purpose Driven Business
• 1. Green Cheese
– Platinum LEED certification
– Green packaging
– Eco-friendly cleaners
• 2. Fine Cheese/Raw Milk Aged Cheese
– Fresh, local, whole milk (Support small local family farms)
– Hand made/small batches
– Unique cheese make/aging strategies
• 3. Fair Cheese (Fair Trade Contracts)
– Happy animals, Happy Farmers, Happy Employees, Happy Customers
– Price per litre that allows producers to elevate quality, grow and prosper
• 4. Clean Cheese
– Ont/Fed licensed/HACCP
• 5. County Cheese
– Bringing out County and adjacent region’s terroir

6. What is Fifth Town?

8. Whey/Waste Water Treatment
Constructed Wetland

9. Farm Partners

10. Accountability: 3rd Party Certification
LEED
ISO 140001
(Self Reporting)

12. Going Global: Sharing Knowledge with
Like Minded Communities Around the
Globe
• WAITUHI
KURATAU
DAIRY Ltd
(MATATOKI
DAIRY)
• Maori Trust
Organization

13. Mapuche (Chile)
Teaching
Sustainable
Cheesemaking
and Sheep Milk
Dairying

14. Philanthropic Work
ROSE HOUSE MUSEUM Canadian Nature Conservancy

15. Community Investment
LOCAL NOT FOR PROFITS EDUCATION
• P.E.C. Kid’s Soccer Sponsor • Roots Program at PECI (Prince Edward County
Wellington’s Women’s Institute Collegiate Institute)
Prince Edward County Theatre Festival PECI Fundraiser
Prince Edward County Rotary Club Annual INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT /AGRICULTURE SUPPORT
Fundraiser for Picton Hospital • International Goat Symposium (Lindsay)
Prince Edward County 4-H Youth Club Ontario Dairy Sheep Association
Edith Fox Centre for Loss & Lambs for Children Ontario Cheese Society
Slow Food Prince Edward County Queen’s University /Moneisson Centre for Knowledge
Ann Farwell Library Fundraiser in Milford Impact on Society Research
Al Purdy Fundraiser, Picton Queen’s University CURA Project for the Innovation and
Kingston Symphony Orchestra Fundraiser Sustainability in Creative Rural Communities (Industry
PEFAC (Prince Edward Fitness & Aquatic Centre) Partner)
Fundraiser American Cheese Society
Big Brother’s and Sisters of Clarington Fundraiser Central Ontario Cheese Makers Association
Trenton Memorial Hospital Gala Fundraiser GREEN/ENVIRONMENTAL
Kiwanis Club of Ottawa Fundraiser • Halton Conservation Foundation Fundraiser
Canadian National Institute for the Blind Green Enterprise Toronto
Art Space Fundraiser, Peterborough SWITCH Kingston
ARTS ORGANIZATIONS • Canadian Nature Conservancy
• Ontario College of Art & Design Student Fundraiser
Shelter Valley Folk Festival
• Ontario College of Art & Design Student Fundraiser
Shelter Valley Folk Festival

16. Awards
• 31 Cheese Awards including 5 • Canadian Wood Council
Grand Champion Awards and
WoodWorks Award
Top Specialty Cheese Maker
November 2008
• Outstanding Contribution to
Agriculture • Design Exchange, Staff
Prince Edward-Hastings, 2008 Pick Award
• Premier’s Award for Agri- November 25th, 2008
Food Innovation • Platinum LEED
May 2009 accreditation
• Marketing Awards: Fifth Town February, 2009
Logo/Stationary Design,
Canadian Advertising and • Ontario Concrete
Design Award Architectural Merit Award
2005 2008
• GeoExchange Excellence
and Leadership Award
November 17th, 2008
• Elizabeth Murray Award
for Construction
Excellence

17. Marketing Awards
Ads as service to
communities of interest…

18. FT Growth
• 5 to 16 FTE
• 20+ in Summer
• 3 to 7 Farms
• 5000/customers/week
• $500K in FT store
• 1 to 8 Distributors
• Sobeys

19. Transformation

20. Umm. I love you
but...WTF IS THAT
Mommy!?????

21. Our Broken Food System
• 1/3 of hospital stays food related illness incl
1/3 of all cancers, ½ heart disease and 2/3
Enormous diabetes
• 1/3 Waste costs food related
• Significant Environmental Costs
Hidden Costs • Threat to food sovereignty growing
Under- • Food industry employs people across
spectrum of ability
Recognized • Can employ many groups/marginlized
groups
Social Benefit • Part of Cultural Industries (like books,
magazines, movies)
Opportunity • Signficant contributor to rural economies

22. Food & Environment?

23. First Client

24. Greatest Key To Success

25. Unexpected Challenges

26. Finding A Great Team

27. Raising Money ($3.6M)
• BDC
Institutional • PELA
30%
• TD LOC
($150)
Personal • 50/50
35% shareholders
• Private Equity/no
Growth shares
Financing
• Private Equity/no
shares

28. Things I wish I knew
1. Get good legal advice at start up.
Don’t scrimp on this!
2. Plan for shareholder disputes and
include resolution mechanisms in
By Laws Up Front
3. Plan for challenges to mission
/purpose when going gets tough
4. Get independent Directors
5. Cultivate future buyers for
shareholders who want to exit as
ongoing activity

29. Inspire People?

30. Biggest Opportunities
FOOD
Distribution
Quality
Artisan
Science
AGRICULTURE
Science
Human Scale/Profitable
Sustainable
FACILITATION & EDITING
Credible selection
Bringing people together

31. Piece of Advice
•Get good lawyer
•Have supportive life
partner
•Work at being
realistic, comfortable
with conflict, and be
always open.
• Be balanced
because it’s a
lifestyle made up of
wild rides.

32. Entrepreneur?

33. Today
www.zugunruhe.ca

34. Entrepreneur’s Playlist
MY PLAYLIST!
1. Natura (Bjork)
2. Something Good to Show (Terra
Naomi)
3. I Have A Dream (ABBA)
4. F**kin Perfect (PINK)
5. Livin ‘ On A Prayer (Bon Jovi)
6. Sleep’in is All I Want to Do (The
Duhks)
7. Price Tag (Jesse James)
8. Trouble Is A Friend (Lenka)
9. Who By Fire (Leanard Cohen)
10.I Did it All (Tracy Chapman)