Back to basics
Au gré des champs is also the story of the beautiful evolution of a farming business through time and generations. Starting with Suzanne and Daniel at the foundation of the agricultural undertaking; the story continues with the return of their daughter Marie-Pier to the business a few years ago. Marie-Pier says she didn’t necessarily think she would return to the farm. In her twenties, she was under the impression that the farm was her parents’ project. It was actually in college that she developed a greater interest in dairy cows and made a return to the business: “I found that my parents were very open to my ideas, and I was soon able to tackle small projects. I then gradually began to see the possibility that the business could also become mine, and that having my parents as partners would give me the latitude to add my own unique colours to our vision.”
Unique breeding practices
I am told that the family has had the opportunity to install dozens of birdhouses on the property, implement delayed mowing practices, and that they even planted hundreds of trees. The new space allowed them to introduce a new practice that was very important to them: raising nurse calves. They’ve also improved their grazing practices so that all their groups (milking cows, dry cows, heifers and calves) can spend as much time as possible on pasture. Their 35 cows live seasonally: from May to October, they spend more than 18 hours a day on the pasture for the summer, and in the winter, they enjoy their new bright and peaceful building.
And it’s only the beginning
In 2017, Marie-Pier oversaw the construction of a new free-stall bedded pack barn. You can feel her pride in putting forward what she holds most dear in the business. It’s clear that she creates products that correspond to her own values. Much like cheese maturation, the business is being refined over time.
Undoubtedly, when referring to agriculture based on passion, human and family values, we immediately think of the Au gré des champs cheese making farm.
After all, isn’t that what being a farmer is all about?