Sylvain Laroche had already had the environmental bug when he started dairy farming 26 years ago. Inspired by a group of visionaries, over the years he has reduced the carbon footprint of his “farmhouse of the past”. Slowly but surely, preparing the ground to bequeath the results of his learning to future generations.
“I fell in love with cows quite early in life, and they got me into farming. We have a connection: if they are not well, I realize it quickly, and I also know when they are happy. It’s like that with all animals that eat hay: I don’t really know why, but I have affection for them and enjoy their company. I’m not wild, but I prefer to spend my time working with animals rather than a team of humans. »
A farm on a human scale
Sylvain Laroche takes great pride in his first generation farm, started when he was only 21 years old in a rental barn before acquiring the neighboring farm a few years later. “All my life, I’ve heard about agricultural projects: my grandparents and one of my uncles had a dairy farm, my other uncle practiced diversified farming, and my father worked for Farm Credit Canada. He manages his farm with the help of the latter, of his brother, who “lately” bought a small farm just opposite, and counting on a single full-time employee, Mathieu, who has been there for all beginnings.
Over time, environmental initiatives have followed one another, but at the Ruisselet farm, the milking of the small herd is still and always done without robotization. “Even today, you can say that I operate a farmhouse from the past. I have about fifty dairy cows, not counting their relief. I send them out to pasture for fresh air and that’s fine for me. »
A pivotal moment for the transformation of the dairy sector
For Sylvain Laroche, the trigger for sustainable development occurred in the early 1990s. As a teenager, he was challenged by environmental issues when he helped out on the farm of one of his uncles, who collaborated with the Sainte-Élizabeth-de-Warwick Organic Agriculture Center. “This advisory club was already testing new techniques, such as intercropping between rows of maize to slow down weed growth or direct seeding to protect the soil. Remember that the agri-environment advisory clubs (CCAE) bring together thousands of agricultural producers in Quebec who want to adopt sustainable practices to reduce their carbon footprint. “For years, these groups, which have been doing great things, have been very, very lively and proactive. They stimulated and informed the producers. »
Another source of inspiration: a philosophy professor met during his studies at ITAQ in Saint-Hyacinthe. “He took environmental issues seriously and took us to organic farms where farmers did things differently. It is certain that the people I met at the very beginning of my agricultural life, who already paid particular attention to the environment, served as models for me. »
“I believe that the humans interacting with the cows are as important to their welfare, if not more, than the barn that houses them.”
Working tirelessly for the future
In the early 2000s, Sylvain Laroche, with the objective of promoting snow accumulation and protecting his land from wind erosion, attempted to plant riparian strips along Brandy Creek with the collaboration of the Ministère de Agriculture and former owners of his farm. “I say ‘attempt’ because it didn’t turn out to be a great success at the time. It’s a way of the cross, it’s an obstacle course to plant windbreaks, which are used to accumulate snow to protect the soil, because vegetation and animals want to take over. In winter, a rodent kills an oak tree in two hours. »
This project, which eventually materialized, quickly led to another, on which the producer has been working for years and which is part of a long-term organic farming objective. “I try to surround my entire land with trees and shelters in order to clearly delimit it from neighboring lands. I’m doing this to promote biodiversity now, but I’m also doing this in case the person who will follow me in 20, 25, 30 years wants to make the transition to organic farming. As Sylvain Laroche explains, the buffer strip formed by the plant belt creates a separation with the adjacent non-biological land, and prevents the drift of pesticides or fertilizers that would contaminate soil and plants.
Sharing knowledge as a lever for sustainable development
What will Sylvain Laroche do to help achieve carbon neutrality in the dairy sector? “I did research to assess what I was already doing and to learn how to improve my practices. I’ve knocked on a few doors to find answers to my questions, and in my case, I believe the changes to the cows’ diet – with the addition of flax to reduce methane production – hold promise. He adds that the question of sustainable development is extremely complex, in his field as in so many others, and that it is difficult for a producer or a scientist, even very informed, to master all the facets. “Education, popularization and sharing of knowledge are essential and make it possible to make wise choices. Because we all learn by example. »
Concrete actions to secure the future
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