2020 The Haut-Saint-François AGRI FOOD Edition Products Magazine

sadchsf.qc.ca

Canada Economicagroalimentairehsf.com Development for Quebec Regions - Récolte 2020 1 offers fi nancial support to the SADC Cover photo by: Martin Mailhot

Acknowledgements We produced this 3rd issue of Récolte under rather exceptional circumstances. The COVID-19 pandemic had just been declared and a lot of uncertainty hung over agri-food producers, processors Collaboration p.4 and restaurant owners. Small Hands, Big Plate! BY PAMELA FOURNIER Despite these challenges, we decided to move Local Products p.6 forward because, more than ever, we share your Why Local Food Matters? commitment to buying local! BY CLAUDIA BEAUREGARD I would like to thank Claudia Beauregard, who Feature Story p.8 has overseen the magazine’s production since The Slow Flowers Movement its inception. Without her attention to detail and BY PAMELA FOURNIER, enthusiasm, we could not have published Récolte’s IN COLLABORATION WITH 3rd issue! EMILIE TURCOTTE-CÔTÉ I am grateful to Emilie Turcotte-Côté, Dominique Let’s Explore p.10 St-Arnaud and Lucie Durocher for sharing their Farm Travelling, passion for farming. To Vincent Grégoire, a restaurant or Just Wwoofi ng owner who has rolled up his sleeves in the face of BY ISABELLE COUTURE unexpected challenges and who still found time to answer our questions. To our spice experts, Josianne Haut-Saint-François p.12 Viau and Frédéric Martel-Leech, for their delicious Cuisine recipes and team spirit. Last but not least, to Pamela Check out the Haut-Saint-François Agri-food Directory. Le Grégoire: A Taste Fournier, who so eagerly tackles every one of her of Asia in Cookshire assignments, and to Aliké Harel, who provides such Find over 100 producers to buy local food and other BY PAMELA FOURNIER high-quality translations! Thank you all. products from here. Sprouting Success p.14 Community-based agroalimentairehsf.com Co-op Farming agroalimentairehsf.com BY CLAUDIA BEAUREGARD Recipes p.16 Salad Dressings and Sauces Danielle Simard Voodoo Tacos General Director Regional Certifi cation p.18 Créateurs de saveurs Cantons-de-l’Est Celebrates its 10th Anniversary

2 Récolte 2020 - agroalimentairehsf.com agroalimentairehsf.com - Récolte 2020 3 Collaboration Introducing your children and be sure to let them get their to the art of cooking at an hands on everything. Washing produce is a great job for little early age helps them learn helpers, and they get to wash their valuable skills that will set hands at the same time! Encourage them up for life. them to smell the various ingredients and feel the different textures. Ways to Learn Give your junior chefs plenty of time Small Hands, Cooking teaches a wide range of to complete each step and praise subjects: math (counting, fractions), them often. They will feel proud and Here are some cooking basic hygiene, fi ne motor skills, “grown-up”. After putting in so much tasks you can entrust vocabulary, etc. And it is guaranteed effort, even the pickiest young eaters to children: to provide loads of fun and special will want to taste their creations. + Peeling certain kinds of fruit Big P late! family moments! Developing Autonomy (bananas, oranges, etc.) But how do you make sure those + Shredding lettuce small hands work safely (and create Cooking with your children will teach + Chopping soft food with a as little mess as possible)? them healthy and balanced eating habits. They will feel more at ease butter knife or a wooden knife Sparking kids’ interest in cooking in the kitchen. They will quickly learn + Measuring and adding dry starts at the grocery store. Let your how to make their favourite recipes ingredients in a bowl (fl our, children push the cart and ask them and, when the time comes, they can baking powder, etc.) to fi nd all the ingredients needed for share their passion for cooking with + Shaping balls of cookie dough a recipe. When it is time to cook, their own children. Such a wonderful + Breaking eggs ask them to help you get out all the tradition to pass on! ingredients and cookware. Show + Adding toppings to a pizza them how all the cooking tools — + Putting liners in a muffi n tin cups, bowls, whisks, etc. — work

BY PAMELA FOURNIER

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1 You pay your farmer 2 Your farmer uses this 3 You receive fresh 4 You get to meet and in the spring. money to pay for seeds, vegetables every exchange with your greenhouse operations week at a lower price. farmer on a weekly and salaries. basis.

Human-scale farming Family Farmers is the key to grow better Network The principle of community-supported instead of more. agriculture is to directly connect you and your local farmer. By subscribing to Family Farmers Network’s vege- table baskets, you are investing in Winter and Summer Sawyerville, it has a pick-up location your community and developing the Baskets in Ascot Corner. Have you heard of local economy. These baskets help the farm called Le Jardinier déchaîné? partnering farmers to grow organic The Croque-Saisons farm in Lingwick You can sample its produce at the Au food by using sound cultivation prac- offers winter baskets November cuisinier déchaîné restaurant, located Why Local Foo d through February. You get to enjoy in the Brasserie 11 comtés. You can tices for the soil and the environment. Not to mention, the price of organic a number of root vegetables, squash also purchase baskets from the Jardi- vegetables is similar to conventional and micro-greens. There is always a nier déchaîné in Cookshire. box to swap vegetables. Caroline and vegetables sold in grocery stores at Feel free to visit each producer’s Web BY CLAUDIA BEAUREGARD Sébastien produce over 40 kinds of Matt er s? regular price. site to learn about their prices and vegetables in their fi elds and green- With the COVID-19 crisis and climate change, strengthening our food supply chain and vegetable selection. Eating Organic houses to feed some 400 families. gaining food self-suffi ciency is more than ever relevant. We can all contribute by buying They also offer summer baskets, Buying certifi ed organic food means and fruit and egg subscriptions. local products. you receive diversifi ed, fresh vegeta- bles, and just as fresh discoveries to Coq à l’Âne Farm in Bury offers vege- Promoting Food is the key to grow better instead required. Another disincentive to boot. You can support farmers from table baskets and will produce winter here who use environmentally sound Autonomy of more. Citizens need to learn to greater food sovereignty is the cost baskets from November to April. consume seasonally; therefore, a of heating to grow more food in soil cultivation practices, without any The farm delivers to Bury, Scotstown Learn more To truly have food sovereignty, our certain amount of education is re- greenhouses over a longer production pesticides, synthetic fertilizers and East Angus. or subscribe: production needs to be decentralized quired. Small farms are having hard season. Part of the question is the or genetically modifi ed organisms so that it is made available within time selling their produce in grocery buy local movement, which develops (GMO). Healthy food also makes Summer Baskets fermierdefamille.org each community with profi table, stores because logistics and — more solidarity; after all, this is a societal healthy people with strong immune Jardins des Bocages grows vege- agroalimentairehsf.com organic farms. Human-scale farming often than not — large volumes are issue. systems. tables, fruit and sprouts. Based in

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It’s basically the same as having a family farmer who provides your vegetables.

Photo Credits: Emilie Turcotte-Côté BY PAMELA FOURNIER Over the past five years, the as kale, cherry tomatoes, and orna- throughout the summer. Flowers slow flowers movement has mental cabbage. Blooming time has are harvested daily or every two days to be taken into consideration as heat tends to make them wilt grown in popularity in Québec. to design and embellish bouquets. faster. Each flower has its own Attuned to the environmental Early in the season, in May, tulips optimal harvest time. impacts of imported flowers, and daffodils are blooming, later on come the gladiolus, sunflowers, this trend makes its way on hyacinths, narcissus, and other short channels and promotes perennials. Fall settles in only to local flower farming. welcome more blooms, such as dahlias, asters, and ornamental Buying local and eco-friendly cut cabbage. flowers is now possible. Slow flowers enthusiasts support human-scale The best part about short distribu- farming as they buy from producers tion channels is the opportunity to who sell locally, in farmers’ markets, create bouquets with fragile flowers or through flower subscriptions. that would not take well to transport, such as cosmos. And local flowers Grow your own! As consumers choose to buy locally, last longer because they are usually they contribute to lowering the sale harvested and sold on the same day. You can grow your own flowers of flowers otherwise imported from home by following a few rules South America, Africa or Holland, A Feminine Trend of thumb: which are usually much less sus- Slow flowers enthusiasts are mostly + Cut them often and get tainable and may have undergone women. Emilie Turcotte, owner of more blooms. several processes to reach their Les jardins d’etc in Bury, has a + Flowers will last longer if destination. Consumers will know passion for flowers and has been harvested before 9 a.m. that slow flowers are produced in growing a wide variety for five or after 6 p.m. healthy conditions, both environ- years now. mentally and socially. As you fill your vase: “It’s basically the same as having + Remove the leaves on the Nature’s True Colours a family farmer who provides your twigs to avoid unpleasant in a Bouquet vegetables. Slow flowers are really smells and bacteria from multiplying in the water. Several flower species can be grown an attempt to better connect with here, as a result bouquets showcase nature, neighbours, and let flowers + Change the water every day. The Slow F lowers an amazing variety. Flower farmers delight you. ” + Take out wilted flowers to may sometimes even include vegeta- Emilie creates gorgeous bouquets rearrange your bouquet. bles in their arrangements such and offers cut flower subscriptions

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Far m Travell ing, or Just Wwoo fing

BY ISABELLE COUTURE As you can imagine, with this many visitors passing by the farm, she Trading Services collected quite a few stories worth telling. And Lucie does tell some of Yet, they are not travelling to hit the funniest stories, like that time a the next best eatery, and you won’t Japanese wwoofer tried to cut a fi eld see them toting around with selfi e using a riding lawn mower. Let’s not sticks. They are from England, forget that wwoofers may or may not Japan, France, all committed have farming experience. Lucie even to ecovolunteering, we call them boarded a wwoofer who was afraid wwoofers. WWOOF stands for: International Travellers of animals. World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms. These travellers In the Haut-Saint-François, close In 2016, a French reporter decided are actually volunteers coming to ten producers welcome wwoofers. to wwoof around the world, her to give a hand on the farm; Lucie Durochers welcomes them fi rst stop was Lucie’s farm in Cook- in exchange for their services, four seasons a year, attracting some shire-Eaton. She headed to South they receive room and board. 60 visitors annually. She stopped America, then India, sheared sheep counting after reaching 200. in New Zealand, and harvested pearls in Tahiti. In the Haut-Saint-François, close to ten producers welcome wwoofers.

Enriching Encounters It happens, although rarely, that a You may have heard that Barcelona spoke of shutting out tourists, that access to Machu wwoofer has a hard time adjusting to farm life or does not get along Picchu has been limited to a certain number of daily visitors, or that Venice is sinking with other travellers. At Lucie’s, it under the weight of eager travellers. Mass tourism is being increasingly criticized for the almost feels like a Farmer Wants a Learn more damage sustained by the environment and communities. Far from such worries, on her Wife show. Although wwoofi ng often on this topic: farm in Cookshire-Eaton, Lucie Durocher nonetheless welcomes foreign visitors who enjoy turns into a love story, it’s mostly a way to make enriching, long-lasting wwoof.ca discovery and seek adventure. friendships.

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BY PAMELA FOURNIER

Le Grégoire: A Taste of Authentic Vietnamese flavours Asia in with a twist, prepared by Cookshire a talented chef! Vincent Grégoire had over that an Asian restaurant specializing he had to deal with multiple chal- menu. “I’d say the General Tao. I ten years of experience in in Vietnamese cuisine would be suc- lenges all at once. He explains, tweaked the recipe by adding panko cessful in the Haut-Saint-François… laughing: “I was running in circles to create a lighter batter, and now preparing Asian cuisine But it turns out there was an un- with my young, inexperienced staff! I’m quite happy with it. My General when he opened Le Café- tapped demand in the region, and What a launch! But things turned out Tao is unique. I even make a shrimp Resto Le Grégoire. the public response exceeded Vin- great. They may be young, but they version.” Other popular dishes in- cent’s expectations. Social media is learn quickly!” The family restaurant clude the pad Thai, the chow mein Hailing from Sherbrooke, he settled buzzing with comments: “Fresh and operates out of a beautiful heritage and the curry soup. in Cookshire, where he purchased delicious, generous portions, excellent home lit by white lights on Pope a hundred-year-old house. Along service, reasonable prices.” Many of Street in Cookshire. There is seating with renovating the structure, those who tried out the restaurant for about 50 people, with room for he has added vegetable and herb when it first launched have become 20 additional seats on the patio, gardens to the property. regular customers. weather permitting. Le Grégoire also offers take-out service. Learn more: Enthusiastic and passionate about A Family Story food and gardening, Vincent has al- Picking the Best Dish facebook.com/ ways had a keen sense of curiosity. Vincent Grégoire’s spouse and two caferestolegregoire Whatever path he took, it always sons have been involved from day Vincent Grégoire hesitates for a seemed to bring him back to the one. He explains that when the moment when asked to pick the dream of owning a restaurant. Of restaurant opened last September, best dish from his very diverse course, there was no guarantee 12 Récolte 2020 - agroalimentairehsf.com agroalimentairehsf.com - Récolte 2020 13 Sprouting Success

Photo Credits: Dominique St-Arnaud

The co-op farm’s purpose is to build relationships with local partners and develop a viable and sustainable local food system.

In 2016, Dominique St-Arnaud The Ferme coop Point du Jour has Where Does the Meat launched her farming venture in working members, user members, Bury. Her partner in life, Christophe including other businesses that buy we Buy Come From? Berthias and her brother Thomas their products. It is managed by a In Québec, 60% of pork consumption Boisvert St-Arnaud in turn became board of directors, which must hold can be traced back to farms within partners in her venture. All their an annual general meeting and the province, the same can be said livestock is raised outdoors, following produce complex financial statements. for 75% of chicken consumption, and a set pasture rotation. They are fed 13% for beef (according to the ministère de The production increased from 99 to with 100% local, plant-based feed l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation 500 laying hens, from 12 to 100 pigs, that contains no GMO, no animal du Québec, in 2017). all the while raising 5 000 chickens, by-products, no antibiotics, no a quota purchased from a retiring In the MRC du Haut-Saint-François, hormones. friend. With its partners’ contribution, we can buy directly from producers Organization the farm also sells local dry-aged beef such as Ferme coop Point du Jour, and organic maple syrup. or through its partnering butcher Comm unity-based and Production shop and specialized grocery stores. The co-op farm’s purpose is to build Advantages of the relationships with local partners and Cooperative Model develop a viable and sustainable local The cooperative model makes it pos- food system. The farm is a member BY CLAUDIA BEAUREGARD sible to combine economic profitability Co-op FarmingFar ming of the Coopérative de développement and social mission. It gives access Bury’s Ferme coop Point du Jour is a local farm specializing in régional du Québec (CDRQ), which to unique fiscal measures, limits the supports co-ops both in their launching Learn more about their pig, chicken, and egg production. This farm stands out in two financial responsibility of its members, and growth phase. The CDRQ offers and builds on solidarity, sharing and products, drop points, ways; while sounder and fl ocks grow in a natural environment, specialized training on the different equity. Interestingly, it has a better and selling points: aspects of running a cooperative the farm is also a cooperative. survival rate than private businesses: fermepointdujour.com business and business realities, after 5 years, 62% of co-ops are still including the agricultural sector. doing business compared to 35% for other types of business. 14 Récolte 2020 - agroalimentairehsf.com agroalimentairehsf.com - Récolte 2020 15 Recipes Smoked Honey Mustard

—½ cup old-fashioned — 3 tablespoons smoked mustard, from Maison honey, from Les As du Orphée Fumoir Directions

In a bowl, mix all the 1 ingredients together.

V S Pepper Sauce P S Voodoo Tacos T —3 tablespoons smoked —2 teaspoons liquid chicken black pepper broth —2 lb ground boar —1 head of lettuce (any — 2 teaspoons organic —2 teaspoons liquid beef meat, from La Ferme variety) unbleached all-purpose broth Renaissance fl our, from La Milanaise — 1 avocado — ½ cup cold water — 1 tablespoon Voodoo unfortunately, they cannot 2 — / 3 cup 10% cream, from produced by Food La Bouffe be grown in the Haut-Saint- La Pinte in collaboration with Les As du François Fumoir Once you start making your own salad dressings and sauces, there is no going back. Not only do Directions —A good-sized piece fresh ingredients just taste better, but making your own is simpler and costs less! —1 tomato of cheddar, from la 1 Combine all the ingredients in 3 Simmer for about 15 minutes available at farmers’ markets Fromagerie P’tit Plaisir To help you master the art of making sauces, we asked the experts from Les As du Fumoir to a small saucepan. or until desired consistency throughout the Haut-Saint- is reached. François — 10 homemade or store- share some of their best recipes, which just happen to use plenty of local ingredients! Bring to a boil, then reduce bought tortillas 2 heat. —1 green onion available where you buy your local tomatoes Caesar Salad Dressing Spring Mayonnaise Beer BBQ Sauce Directions In a large skillet over medium- Set all cut vegetables aside in —2 egg yolks —1 cup smoked olive oil, —1 whole egg — 1 tablespoon lemon juice —50 ml smoked olive oil, —250 ml ketchup 1 high heat, sauté the wild boar 4 bowls and place them in the visit agroalimentairehsf.com from Les As du Fumoir from Les As du Fumoir until evenly browned, about centre of the table. — 400 ml beer (Hiver des to find local eggs — 1 ½ tablespoons spring — 1 cup vegetable oil 10 minutes. While cooking, — ½ cup fresh, grated mix, from Les As du Fumoir — 5 tablespoons smoked Corneilles from the season the meat with Assemble your tacos any way —1 tablespoon Dijon mustard Parmesan maple sugar, from Les As Brasserie 11 comtés) Voodoo. 5 you like! Maison Orphée makes an du Fumoir — 1 tablespoon Sel de Feu, organic, made-in-Quebec —1 tablespoon lemon juice Directions — 1 onion coarsely chopped from Food La Bouffe While the meat is cooking, mustard —2 anchovy fillets 2 dice the tomato and avocado. In a food processor, mix the Homemade mayonnaise —3–5 minced garlic cloves — 3 tablespoons cider —1 garlic clove 1 egg, lemon juice and spring 3 keeps for 5 days in the —1 tablespoon capers vinegar Chop the lettuce and green stock up on locally grown mix for a few seconds. refrigerator. — 2 teaspoons sriracha sauce 3 onion. garlic when it is in season —Smoked salt and smoked for a regional substitute, use —100 ml water pepper to taste, from Les 2 Set the speed to the lowest La Claudelle au Mexique by As du Fumoir setting. While the food Grenouilles Charmantes —Salt and pepper to taste processor is running, slowly Directions add the oil until mayonnaise Directions is produced. 1 In a food processor or 3 Finish by adding the In a saucepan, sauté the Bring to a boil, then blender, mix the egg yolks, Parmesan cheese, 1 onion and garlic in olive oil 5 simmer for about lemon juice, mustard, garlic, and season. over medium heat. 30 minutes or until anchovies and capers for desired consistency 1 minute. Add the smoked maple sugar is reached. 2 and stir until you obtain a While the food processor Wild Mayonnaise caramel texture. Season to taste. 2 is running, slowly add 6 the vegetable oil to make Discover and buy Simply follow the spring mayonnaise recipe, substituting wild mix for Add Worcestershire sauce a creamy sauce. If the spring mix! 3 and the vinegar. local products: dressing is too thick, add 2 tablespoons of water. Add the sriracha (or La lesasdufumoir.ca 4 Claudelle au Mexique), ketchup, beer, water and Sel de Feu. 16 Récolte 2020 - agroalimentairehsf.com agroalimentairehsf.com - Récolte 2020 17 Regional Certifi cation , Createur s de saveur s Canton s-de-l’EstCelebrates its 10th Ann iver sar y

With 10 years under its belt, Créateurs de saveurs Cantons-de- Créateurs de Saveurs supports l’Est now supports more than 170 local producers and processors. local producers. Certifi ed Certifi ed products are simply more attractive to consumers. The brand products are simply more also helps create a strong sense of belonging to the Eastern Townships, attractive to consumers. as well as a feeling of pride in sup- approaches, for accelerating the porting the local community. More A Promising Future development of e-commerce solu- than just an opportunity to look back tions, and for supporting entre- Créateurs de saveurs Cantons-de- on the last decade, this special an- preneurs as they adapt to digital l’Est will continue to get results niversary provides a chance to build technology. This means commu- for the producers and processors on the momentum created over nicating differently (an increased it represents. The team will work the years. presence on social media, sharing to increase the brand’s reputation Adapting to Change best practices, holding webinars) among consumers, while focussing and implementing new food safety on collaboration and developing new Créateurs de saveurs is celebrating measures. This is also a good time initiatives to meet the challenges of its 10th anniversary in the midst of to think about the years to come. tomorrow. While we look back with an unprecedented global crisis. Now How will we consume agricultural pride on all that has been accom- more than ever, it is time to refocus products in the future? How will we plished in the last 10 years, we also on fundamentals and to remember look back on this turning point for look forward to the next decade. everything the brand has done to the biofood sector? It is never too Créateurs de saveurs Cantons-de- support producers and processors. early for the region’s producers and l’Est will continue to be there to We need to seize this opportunity processors to prepare for the future. support biofood businesses through for developing new marketing innovative projects.

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