Every two weeks this summer, market gardener Jean-Martin Fortier invites us to dive into his universe where blackened hands bear witness to the lessons and stories that the earth gives us… when we know how to listen to it.
PHOTO MARTIN TREMBLAY, PRESS ARCHIVES
Jean-Martin Fortier in his kitchen garden at Espace Old Mill, last summer
Today, I invite you to my garden. But first, allow me to provide some details about my job.
When I use the term “market gardener” to describe my work, I consider it a synonym for farmer or farmer, but it better reflects the true essence of my activity. The term “gardener” emphasizes my close connection with the soil and the plants I grow. I mainly use simple tools such as the grelinette, wheelbarrows or hoes. However, the term “market gardener” also emphasizes the productivity and profitability of my work, which I must maximize in order to earn my living. Many other growers like me mostly use the word ‘family farmer’ to describe their artisanal approach to local agriculture.
As a market gardener, I take care of a plot of just over an acre.
Imagine a lush garden, the size of a soccer field, growing tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, zucchini, strawberries and over 30 varieties of vegetables and fruits.
Every Saturday, and often two or three times a week, we will harvest all these fresh vegetables to bring them to the market. This is called local agriculture.
A long season
Despite our harsh winters, the profession is practiced over 9 to 10 months and all the beginnings of the season are alike. After a well-deserved rest period, the nursery is opened to make seedlings which will then be planted in the garden in April and May. Thus begins a long adventure which lasts until December with the last crops under cover. In May, each day is devoted to planting the garden. The soil is prepared with the necessary compost and manure, then an impressive number of varieties of vegetables are transplanted. It is also necessary to quickly protect the young shoots from harmful insects which are impatiently awaiting the arrival of good weather to devour them. During the planting period, care must also be taken to ensure that the seedlings remain sufficiently moist to promote good germination of seeds sown directly in the ground. Interesting fact: the seed drills we use are practically the same as those used by market gardeners at the beginning of the century.
And this is how a great marathon begins. Week after week, we water, we cultivate and we take care of our plants which are growing visibly. Every day, you have to organize your work efficiently and success depends on many factors, some controllable and others unpredictable. We work with life and ever-changing weather. Each experience is a lesson that enriches our knowledge and allows us to improve the quality of the vegetables we grow. For every onion attacked by thrips, tiny insects invisible to the naked eye, a tasty, perfectly ripe tomato takes over. This is the advantage of growing different vegetables simultaneously without over-specializing.
Over time, when the first harvests begin, we develop a real relationship with nature, especially with the soil that we approach closely. As the saying goes, “the earth is low”!
This job is not only linked to the land and the fields, it is also a job of encounters and community. It goes beyond the simple cultivation of vegetables, it generates human links. At the market, we share our passion and our knowledge, we exchange recipes while chatting with customers. It’s an opportunity for all those – and especially children – who don’t have the chance to work the land to reconnect with the land and participate in these values. So that gives a lot of meaning to the job. This part of the equation involves everyone, because without the support and enthusiasm of consumers who want agriculture like ours, there would be no motivation to do what we do. It all starts with the eating citizen.
So remember this: when you sit down to enjoy a meal, remember that your fresh vegetables are the fruit of work and devotion that go beyond the mere notion of a trade. And the next time you make a detour to buy your vegetables and fruits directly from a market gardener, take the time to observe his hands. If they are marked by the earth, take the time to thank him for his work, because eating is above all an agricultural gesture.
Today, Jean-Martin Fortier grows vegetables in the kitchen garden of Espace Old Mill, his restaurant located in the Eastern Townships. It can also be found on certain Saturday mornings at the Jean-Talon market in Montreal, as well as Thursdays at the Saint-Lambert market.