Meet Karen Guinan, Partner and Business Advisor, Agriculture, at MNP

Born and raised in Black Creek, Karen grew up on a hobby farm, developing a strong work ethic as she cared for the chickens, turkeys, pigs, and horses — and, of course, picked rocks. We caught up with Karen, a Partner and Business Advisor with MNP’s Agriculture team, to discuss how she helps growers in the Comox Valley succeed.

What is your role at MNP?

I work directly with farmers to help them improve their operations and achieve their business goals. My job is about more than the numbers — it’s also about getting to know clients and their families. I am genuinely interested in every client I work with. Having that personal relationship is how you really understand their business and their needs.

In addition to providing traditional year-end accounting and tax services, I make sure I’m available throughout the year to address business questions, challenges, and opportunities as they arise. To help with this, I participate in regular calls with our agriculture specialists on the Island and across Canada to stay up to date on what’s happening in the industry both locally and nationally. This collaborative knowledge sharing ensures we are always equipped with the latest insights and strategies to help our clients with all aspects of their farm business.

What is the biggest concern you hear from farmers?

Succession. How are they going to transition the farm to the next generation or, if there isn’t a next generation, what’s going to happen to the operation? It can be very emotional because people have been born and raised on the farm and because there are family dynamics at play. Clients want their wishes for the farm to be met and to preserve family harmony.

That’s why MNP developed TransitionSMART, a succession planning roadmap designed specifically for family-owned farms. I help to guide clients through each step of this process to figure out what they want to achieve with their succession plan and how best to achieve it.

As a business advisor, what is the number one piece of advice you’re giving your clients right now?

Educate yourself on the support that’s available to you. There is so much uncertainty right now. Programs like AgriStability and AgriInvest can make a huge difference when you’re dealing with such a vast array of risks. Knowing there is support reduces anxiety and stress and can help you feel more comfortable planning your future.

What have you learned from the COVID-19 pandemic?

Be adaptable and flexible, because things can change very quickly! The other thing I learned is that even if we can’t visit growers, we can support them using technology. I’ve been surprised by our ability to do that so effectively and I think it’s been better for people than they expected it to be. Due to the pandemic and market conditions, uncertainty is a real concern for growers in the Comox Valley, so being adaptable, knowing what support is available, and reaching out for advice and information are all very important.

What do you like best about your work?

Seeing people succeed! It’s exciting to be involved with an owner who’s going after a dream and I get joy from helping them. I also love visiting my clients’ farms and look forward to getting to do that again.

What do you do for fun?

I’m a fitness junkie. My passions are mountain biking in the Cumberland-Plateau area — the hills are my happy place — and playing soccer. I play women’s soccer and co-ed so I’m pretty much playing all year round.

What is the best thing about living in the Comox Valley?

Well, I’m biased as I’ve lived here all my life, but if you love the outdoors and being active, there’s no better place. We can ski and golf in the same day — you can’t say that about very many places.