This text is part of the special Pleasures notebook
In Hébertville, in Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, a couple cultivates 1,000 hectares of organic grains and oilseeds from which they produce delicious oils. In June, he opened the doors of the farm to the public to share his know-how and talk about traceability.
Flax, camelina, canola, hemp, yellow peas, green lentils and beluga: at the Tournevent farm, Audrey Bouchard and Guillaume Dallaire are busy growing a dozen products intended for local consumers. In addition to being among the few organic legume farmers in Quebec, the couple derives oils from oilseed production that they sell under the Tournevent brand. This makes the company one of the few oil mills in the province.
The final preparations are well underway on this former family dairy farm, converted to large crops in 2006. These days, the team is welcoming its first buses of tourists who have come to see the brand new Économusée des huiliers. A concept developed in Quebec which supports the promotion of artisans and their traditional trades by sharing their expertise with visitors. “Our economuseum is eagerly awaited in the region,” enthuses Audrey Bouchard. This establishment is added to the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean economusée network, which now has a dozen members. »
The project will be officially inaugurated at the end of summer. It is, for the couple, a way to get closer to customers while allowing them to demystify their products likely to interest those who would like to replace imported olive oil.
“Faced with lobbying from the olive oil industry, we have difficulty changing people’s consumption habits. We are not saying to stop buying them completely, but simply to be proud of Quebec oils and to use them. They have different fatty acid profiles and they offer traceability from field to bottle. »
Transform on site
For Audrey Bouchard, the transformation aspect is part of a circular economy logic that promotes synergies and local development. “When I took over the farm with my partner, I wanted to give added value to our crops. The farm was already selling grain to companies outside the region who made oil from it. We saw it as an opportunity to become producers and processors and offer consumers oils that meet the highest standards of quality and traceability,” she says.
“There are a lot of natural resources in Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean,” explains the farmer. And, often, they are not processed here. Our objective was to go against this model and create added value locally, with the food that we are able to grow at home. »
In 2014, the farm therefore received the necessary equipment, in a first phase of purchasing equipment to clean and filter the grains: sieves to separate particles of different sizes, densimetric tables to separate those of similar size according to their weight. It also receives an optical sorter to eliminate color imperfections.
Later, the couple went to Europe to improve their knowledge. He returned with a business plan aimed not only at manufacturing 100% local first cold-pressed oils, but also at integrating the cultivation of legumes in the fields to fix nitrogen in the soil. This technique is used in particular to naturally fertilize fields.
“As organic producers, we were inspired by the Western Canadian concept of peola. We grow a legume (yellow pea) and an oilseed (canola) together, then the grain cleaning center allows us to separate them,” explains Audrey Bouchard.
Plan a stop
The farm is preparing to welcome its visitors for the tourist season and Audrey Bouchard is delighted. “Our products are present in more than 300 points of sale throughout Quebec, but a bottle or a bag at the grocery store doesn’t say everything! With the Économusée des huiliers, we want to communicate to the public everything that is behind it,” she says.
On site, people will learn more about the manufacturing of oils, from grain harvesting to bottling, and the criteria that governed the company’s choices. Exhibition panels will inform them about the history of Tournevent, the different types of grains as well as the best ways to use local oils to replace olive oil… This will be an opportunity to taste new products and to participate in the Make your oil vial workshop, at the end of which visitors will leave with their sample.
“The different tour options, free and guided, are intended to evolve: we work in collaboration with different partners in the region to provide people with a unique customer experience! »
This content was produced by the Special Publications team at Duty, relating to marketing. The writing of the Duty did not take part.