Day 3: More farms and fun in Quebec

After participating in the famous local tradition that is Montreal International Jazz Festival, the class packed up and headed for the border, making stops along the way before crossing.

The first stop was La Ferme Quinn, a 150-acre agri-tourism farm on the borders of Montreal. We were enthusiastically greeted at the farm by Farmer Phil and his wife Stephanie, and we eagerly jumped on a wagon ride for a full tour. With so many different crops on the farm, including strawberries, sweet corn and Christmas trees – each available in u-pick for the public – Farmer Phil stressed the importance of his success by providing each guest on their farm with the best quality product and the best quality experience. This includes communicating to the public all on-farm practices that go into producing the best quality product. This open communication allows for people to have a greater connection to what they are eating and why they are paying the highest price in the province for the product. To end the tour, we were able to walk through their construction zone, where they are expanding their storage and retail space threefold. Their pride and spirit for the farm was contagious and there was an urge for more as we all headed back to the bus.

Continuing our travels, we stopped for lunch at Centre de santé Euro-spa. This quiet country inn was certainly spa like. After a delicious buffet, Robin lead the class in a few needed stretches on the lawn. Then it was back on the bus. Our next stop wasn't far off, the Bonduelle plant in Bedford, Quebec. The plant manager Robert Deschamps met us at the spa and led us to the site. We split into two groups to alternatively tour the plant with Sebastien Smith and learn about Bonduelle from Robert. During Robert's presentation, we watched a video about the multinational and learned just how large this multinational company is. The plant in Quebec is one of 44 plants in 11 countries. Their mission is "Living well through wholesome vegetables" and they take quality, safety and relationships with stakeholders very seriously. It's obviously working. They package 100 brands for other labels, co-pack and have their own brand Arctic Gardens. This multi-pronged approach is very effective as Bonduelle enjoys 85% of the Canadian market share. With 12 plants in North America including Quebec, Ontario and Alberta they focus on having plants very close to the farms who supply them due to the perishability of the product. Timing is critical.

Next it was off to tour the plant. We watched as cutting edge equipment received, cleaned, sorted and blanched about a trillion peas an hour. Kidding of course, but it sure did seem like it, as waves of peas worked their way through the various processes. You could tell that Bonduelle doesn't entertain tours here regularly and it was just another example of the AALP program opening doors for us.

After thanking Robert and Sebastien, it was back on the bus. Our border crossing was uneventful and the day ended at the Ramada Inn in Albany, New York.

All in all, another great day of learning, touring and spending time together.

Comment

You need to be a member of Ontario Agriculture to add comments!

Join Ontario Agriculture

Welcome to
Ontario Agriculture

Sign Up
or Sign In

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

KAP Celebrates 42nd Annual General Meeting and Sets Strong Policy Direction

Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) held its 42nd annual meeting on February 3, 2026, at the Delta Hotels Winnipeg bringing together farmers, industry partners, stakeholders, elected officials, and government representatives to review a year of significant advocacy achievements and to set priorities for the year ahead. “Our AGM provides an opportunity each year to gather members from across the province, and I want to thank them for attending the 2026 AGM this week to connect with each other, engage on critical issues facing for our sector, and set priorities for our ongoing work and future direction,” said Jill Verwey, KAP President. Panels and policy workshops during the AGM focused on Manitoba’s drainage network, right to repair, interoperability and digital agriculture led by Tyler McCann, Managing Director of the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute. “KAP’s work is driven by the priorities and perspectives of Manitoba farmers, said Colin Hornby, KAP General Manager. “This pa

Horticulture School

The Horticulture School is presented by Manitoba Agriculture, Agriculture Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) - Portage and Assiniboine College - Brandon. The school provides horticulture producers with learning opportunities to improve yield and quality of their crops. If you are a market gardener, vegetable &/or fruit producer, or have an interest in horticulture production please join us at the school. The following are the focus areas of the school: Pathology - Conventional and non-conventional disease management. Fruit - Production information and updates Vegetable - Production information and updates, sweet potato production, storage issues Entomology - Early season pests - cutworms, flea beetles, diamondback moth, grasshoppers Soils - Soil fertility planning Weeds - Recognizing drift, systemic vs contact herbicides, post harvest weed control Certified Crop Advisor credits are available for participants. Upcoming Horticulture Webinar Series: Tuesday, February 24, 2026 | 10:00 a.m. Dr. Vi

Portage la Prairie research farm to close following AAFC cuts

An Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) research farm in Portage la Prairie will be closing as part of federal government funding cuts. Earlier this month, the department announced that seven research facilities across multiple provinces will be closing as the federal government moves to reduce the size of the public service. “We knew that the government was going to be making reductions, it was just a question of where,” said Colin Hornby, general manager of Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP), which represents thousands of farmers in the province. “Firstly, the details are not all clear yet, we’re still figuring out how these things are going to happen… but more generally speaking, a reduction in research capacity is always something that concerns us,” he said. Hornby said the federal facility was also used by universities and other researchers to conduct a range of studies, including work on horticulture, grain, oil and other conventional crops. “Research is the foundation

Seeking Asian market development, growth

On Alfonz Koncan’s agenda: get more Manitoba businesses into Hong Kong. Koncan is Winnipeg chapter co-president of the Hong Kong-Canada Business Association. The group recently signed a letter of co-operation with the Manitoba government. The Hong Kong Trade Development Council, a statutory body, also signed a co-operation letter with the province. “We’re not focused hard enough,” Koncan said of local trade with Hong Kong (a special administrative region of China) and Southeast Asia. “We have too much of our trade going south (to the U.S.) and it’s vulnerable.” He called Hong Kong a “pivot point” — a financial hub where players from nearby countries find trading partners. Manitoba ships commodities such as barley, canola and wheat to Southeast Asia. There’s room for growth, especially as areas become wealthier and more populous, Koncan said. He and colleagues aim to connect Manitoba firms with Hong Kong trade shows. The association has been doing so for several decades; it’s crea

Supreme Egg Products Helps Ontario Processors Secure Reliable Liquid Egg Supply with 99% Fill Rate.

Supreme Egg Products, a specialist in egg processing, empowers Ontario's industrial processors and HRI operations with dependable liquid eggs and hard-boiled eggs, backed by a 99% fill rate that ensures production continuity.

More…

Badges | Report an Issue | Terms of Service