Words from market gardeners | The Press

We both worked in a company, but we had been looking for five years for something more rewarding, in connection with nature. Jean-Martin Fortier’s online master class was an excellent investment. Less productive but delicious cultivars have been bred, and restaurants [dont Foxy et Hélicoptère, à Montréal] appreciate them very much.

We also sell our vegetables at the next generation kiosk at Jean-Talon Market. One day, we could have baskets and a stand on the farm. And then chickens and bees. Being a market gardener is very hard, physically and mentally. We have an ambitious plan, but we are also realistic. What we wanted to do in three years, we will perhaps do in four.

It was a dream for me to raise my four children in the countryside and be self-sufficient. But I like the contact with people and I would like to live from my land. The pandemic and the death of my mother gave me the kick to get started. It’s too early to say if it will work, the beginning of the summer was cold. My expectations are that my small business will grow with my children. For the moment, I remain a nurse for Public Health working from home for three days and my spouse will keep his job. I like having both hands in the ground. Then, sitting on the porch and hearing the sounds of nature, the crickets, the birds, it feels good.

One thing that’s for sure the first year is that it won’t go the way you want it to. Here, we will have to work the land, which is too clayey, but the owner is a cattle producer, so manure, we have plenty. We didn’t have a market gardener in Normandin, so I thought someone was needed. It’s not normal that my tomatoes have traveled more than me. François Legault says that food self-sufficiency is super important, but I had to fill out so much paperwork before I got started… Luckily I have a pig’s head!

We would like to live exclusively from agriculture within five years. Fortunately, I had access to family land, on the banks of the river, because our savings from the last few years are gone, even if there are subsidies. But the response is impressive. And the feeling of feeding people is wonderful. We want to sell our production almost exclusively in our self-service kiosk on the 132, but we also sell to two restaurants. For the future, we have a greenhouse under construction and we want to develop pick-your-own berries and herbs, have a picnic area, do agrotourism.

It’s fascinating to see the effort it takes to grow vegetables in Quebec. Unlike supply management sectors, we compete with tomatoes that grow in Mexico, where employees are paid $1 a day. But we feel that we belong. I remain a part-time consultant, but my wife now devotes herself 100% to the farm. We want to make a difference with gestures to support the local economy, the occupation of the territory, food autonomy and fight climate change. To make baskets, you have to master the cultivation of about thirty vegetables… We prefer to sell at the farm kiosk, to grocery stores and restaurants. We have three children, we needed a viable model quickly.