This text is part of the special Pleasures notebook
We have seen them pop up in Quebec for several years, to the point where they outnumber the traditional roadside fruit and vegetable stalls. A look at these farms that opt for trust.
In a row in the Laurentians, a scarlet sign announces a building that looks like a normal counter. Inside, a calculator, a notebook and a safe in which to leave notes.
The La Récolte de la Rouge self-service store reopened at the end of spring with an expanded offering. “We started in mid-June with our summer strawberry. As the harvests progress, we will have a wide variety of vegetables and many products from the region,” enthuses Mathieu Roy. The market gardener who owns the local farm has been offering his plants self-service for several years now.
The concept, which surprises many, comes from the American Northeast, where the tradition has existed for decades. For a long time, it was even the only way our neighbors to the South had to obtain supplies from their local farmers, so much so that today we take them for granted.
Like other market gardeners, Mathieu Roy was inspired by what was done there to develop his own marketing. “The idea came to me during an internship in Pennsylvania at a farm that made its sales by offering its vegetables self-service in the middle of nowhere,” he says.
Confirmed popularity
La Récolte de la Rouge is far from being the only farm here to have opted for self-service. Geoffroy Ménard is a project manager at the Center for Expertise and Transfer in Organic and Local Agriculture. He estimates that across Quebec, there are currently more points of sale of this type than those which employ staff to man the cash register. “Around ten years ago, no one dared to give access to their products without supervision. Today, I would not be surprised if 10% of diversified market garden farms do it,” he believes.
For small local agricultural businesses, this remains the best, if not the only, way to distribute their products inexpensively. “It’s the only way I found so that my neighbors can enjoy my vegetables. The cost of labor has become so high that I could not afford to have someone on site,” explains Mathieu Roy.
If, for many, the revenue barely provides enough to cover an employee’s salary, for others, it can approach $100,000 per season. “It can be an important sales channel for well-located farms,” assures Geoffroy Ménard.
This is the case of the Pied de Céléri cooperative, which is located one kilometer from the heart of the village of Dunham on the Brome-Missisquoi Wine Route. After a few years of self-service, the company eventually made sales high enough to pay an employee. “With the revenue that the kiosk was generating, we said to ourselves that it was the time to hire someone to create a greater connection with our customers. People knew us, they liked the trust we placed in them, but, deep down, we almost never saw them,” recalls Camille Roy-Béliveau, worker member.
A question of trust
“In 2020, local farms experienced a boom. And self-service is an ideal solution for those who are starting out and who don’t necessarily have the possibility of hiring someone. Several people contacted us to ask us questions,” says Camille Roy-Béliveau.
One common concern is whether it is safe to leave vegetables unattended. “It’s really not the usual way of doing things. But, as a general rule, customers are so happy to be able to stop by the kiosk whenever they want that they don’t even think about stealing,” she adds.
“There was never any theft,” confirms Mathieu Roy. Maybe it’s being a small organic farm, but people really aren’t inclined to steal. We trust them, and they repay us. »
The market gardener always finds many more advantages than disadvantages. He agrees, however, that it is quite a heavy workload. “As there are no employees, we have to stock it, put it away and clean it ourselves, this kiosk,” he says. But where the advantage lies is in the possibility of selling the surplus on the farm. “When we find ourselves with excess crops, they always find buyers at the kiosk. It really helps reduce field losses,” he says. A welcome solution to tackle food waste.
This content was produced by the Special Publications team at Duty, relating to marketing. The writing of the Duty did not take part.