TAMARA & JENNIFER WENSLEY

Self-proclaimed as being very di erent, one of the things these sisters have in common is their contagious energy and infectious laughter. When asked how they started Primal Sisters Enterprises, Jennifer replies, “Stumbling.” She laughs, “It was a side thing. And though we had obstacles, we kept saying we had to keep going, because it was just so much fun. And then other parts, well I hate to say it was easy, but a lot of it was.”

Tamara describes how both sisters had switched to a Paleo style of eating, for di erent health reasons. “It was freeing,” she said. “And once my body adjusted to not storing glucose anymore, the result was euphoric.”

Still, there were some foods they

Mainntadining missed having. a way of eating, without carbohydrates, limiting certain treats. “Potato chips,” quips Tamara, and says to her sister, “I miss chips! What about meat chips?” While developing a snack for themselves, their paleo, ketogenic and preservative-free pork crisps product was born, Louis Pasture.

Jennifer, a single parent of four children, who formerly cleaned houses and mowed lawns, to pay the bills, talks about the business now. She explains, “We are still sometimes amazed that we were capable of doing what we’ve done. From craving a snack to heading out to sell our crisps at farmers’ markets, to now, today. I remember being so excited, going to the market,” she laughs, “as a Mom, it was a big night out for me!”

Tamara describes how she loves to share her knowledge, and you can hear an eagerness to educate in her words. “I had some health problems, and I

gured out that it was related to what I was eating.” A former vegetarian, as well as nutritionist, she describes how her body was just not feeling good. “It was a lesson in humility, thinking that I knew everything as a nutritionist,” she chuckles. With her words comes the feeling that it’s not just a business, but a public service, and deeply personal.

Also important to the sisters was the way their food was being raised, and harvested. “How the animals lived was important to us,” Tamara states, “but also the way that their lives were ended.” So they got in touch with a local butcher who specialized in traditionally raised local pork and started to produce their organic snack food.

e company name was a bit of an inside joke. It was a story that their Mother used to read to them about believing in yourself, even when others may not. It was the story of Louis Pasteur. From there, and because their product is wholly natural, Louis Pasture became their name. “I think we even named the pig Louis,” Jennifer laughs when talking about their company logo.

“The Nuu-ChahNulth Economic Development Corporation not onl helped us with a loan when a regular bank would not even consider us, but the were the first ones t sa t us that it was a great idea!”

She continues, “We couldn’t have done any of this without the support of the Nuu-Chah-Nulth Economic Development Corporation, in British Columbia. ey not only helped us with a loan when a regular bank would not even consider us, but they were the

rst ones to say to us that it was a great idea! It wasn’t just the nancial support, they also gave us a boost at a time when things were pretty uncertain.”

She laughs, “We still can’t get a business credit card from a regular bank.” en says, “So they were crucial to our plan. We wouldn’t be here without them.”