The farm will have 15 years in 2024 Where can I even begin to summarize our last 15 years? Well, let's start with a man named François, who sometimes has surprising ideas, like planting sea buckthorn for his retirement. A small fruit that few people knew about in 2008. So, François and his family planted the shrubs in Pointe-Fortune on a piece of land not far from their cottage. Then Éric, a computer science student, decided to take a beekeeping course in Alma. Quite simply, he thought, why not work the land in Pointe-Fortune? And there you have it! The farm started in 2009 with 20 hives and a lot of motivation. François and Jeanne, Éric's parents, joined the business in 2013, and the honey house was built that same year. 2013 was a big year, because Éric was a bit out of it when we met at the Agri-rencontre event. Yes, a dating site for agriculture lovers. Okay, I admit it, I've also caught the beekeeping bug!
Here I am, Hélène. I joined the business in 2019 with the addition of the vegetable gardens. This will be my 10th season growing organic vegetables in Pointe-Fortune. It's taken a lot of hard work and sweat to make this adventure a success, a journey to feed the world while respecting ecosystems. My childhood dream of owning a farm has come true, and my social and environmental commitment only grows stronger with each passing year.
In Pointe-Fortune, they say that for every shovelful, there's a rock. That gives you an idea of all the work that went into preparing our beautiful gardens. We removed countless rocks. Ten years later, there are still some left… Far fewer, but still some. Which goes to show that it's not just vegetables that grow in our fields…
Time passes incredibly quickly and slowly in agriculture. The days fly by, but when you make a mistake, you often have to wait until the next season to start again. We've had some great successes, like offering guided farm tours starting in 2017, country-style dinners in 2019, and ice cream in 2022. Diversifying the farm is probably our greatest achievement. Over the years, we've also added pasture-raised egg production, as well as the production of pig on pasture. This allows us to diversify our income, which can fluctuate greatly with the weather, the economy, or simply a pandemic. Farming and entrepreneurship also have their challenges and setbacks, such as sea buckthorn bushes that died in large numbers in the early years, high bee mortality on several occasions, or building a greenhouse in the middle of winter. Over the years, we've learned from our mistakes and rolled up our sleeves to improve the profitability of our production, because I won't hide from you that you don't get rich in farming.
For Eric and me, our biggest challenge was definitely becoming parents in 2020. Our little Leo brings us immense joy, but being farmers and parents comes with its share of challenges, especially with our (over)loaded schedules during peak season. Luckily, he loves coming to the farm to eat Mom's tomatoes and Dad's honey! And if Grandpa François is there, you'll find Leo in the sea buckthorn grove with him, enjoying a phenomenal amount of fruit. He's quite the connoisseur if you happen to see him! In fact, he sometimes stays with Grandma Jeanne in the honey house to say hello when you visit the shop.
Over the past fifteen years, we've fed countless people and made some wonderful connections. We've had the privilege of nurturing and sharing our passion, and welcoming enthusiasts and lovers of local produce. Today, we are filled with gratitude for every interaction we've had with you and for the trust you've placed in us.
Dear customers and friends, we raise a glass in your honor, wishing you health and thanking you from the bottom of our hearts. You are an essential part of our adventure, sharing with us a passion for authentic products and the land. It is with great joy that we look to the future, ready to continue offering you the very best from our farm. Together, let's cultivate even more happiness in our fields for many years to come.
PSST: Book a farm visit or find our products in our online shop. We'd love to welcome you to the farm 🙂!
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