Ferme La Rose Des Vents in Mont-Laurier

We're always looking for ways to encourage passionate local farmers and introduce their offerings to Lufavores through the Marketplace. That’s how we found Ferme La Rose des Vents in Mont-Laurier. We were touched by their unique story and how their values matched our own...not to mention, we found out that their sustainably-raised, grain-fed chicken is, actually amazing.

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Jean-Guy Lacelle and his wife Diane Aubin run the farm together with their family. Jean-Guy started by buying his father’s dairy farm (established in 1945), then took his first steps towards poultry farming. After a serious illness, Jean-Guy had no choice but to reduce his workload. He chose to focus on one thing at a time and so started to dedicate all of his efforts to the poultry farm. 

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Jean-Guy and Diane wanted their children to benefit from their years of hard work. So they made sure every child would have their own corner of the farm in order to join the family business. That's how the farm started to grow by first adding a type C-1 butcher shop in 2006 (which made it possible to transform their products directly on the farm) and an abattoir in 2013. With these additions, everything from raising poultry and making the feed, to processing and packaging, can be done directly on the farm. This makes Ferme La Rose Des Vents one of the very few full-cycle poultry farms in Quebec. Today, there are more than 20 family members working at the farm. And it's very much a family atmosphere - the grandchildren even spend summers there, taking care of quails in their own little farm and getting used to the animals early on.

Guided by their values, Jean-Guy and Diane’s methods differ from the traditional poultry industry. To avoid using commercial feed made from iffy ingredients (such as animal fats), they feed their chickens with grains grown on the farm itself. They also believe in giving the animals enough space and good living conditions. "I give them the same quality of life I would like to have myself,” explains Jean-Guy. Wood chips are added as needed to keep the living space clean and dry, and they provide more space than is typical in traditional farming. Finally, systematic use of hormones and antibiotics is avoided altogether. The choice of staying away from antibiotics, though, does increase the risk of birds getting sick. For this reason, Diane and Jean-Guy decided  to raise their chickens indoors, since diseases are most easily transmitted to animals that are frequently outdoors. They carefully considered the reality of quality of life for the animals, since it isn’t necessarily better outdoors: muddy ground and temperatures that can be too hot or too cold for animal comfort.

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For the owners of Ferme La Rose des Vents, working with people who understand their reality is essential. They want their customers to be aware that production is limited, that less is more, and that quality will always come first. That's why their products are only sold to a very limited number of distributors. (And we're proud to be one of those few.) This way, they can keep production small-scale and focus on freshness. For example, the poultry you find in your basket on a Thursday is prepared on Wednesday, just a day before. Any extras are frozen or cooked, so nothing goes to waste too.

Our visit ended up around the dinner table, sharing a chicken pot pie and duck tourtière. Leaving on an empty stomach was obviously not an option. The same way compromising on the quality of the food they produce was never an option. At Ferme La Rose des Vents, everyone gives their all to bring the best poultry possible to your plate with deep consideration for the farm animals.  “Every day, I thank these little guys for keeping us alive,” admits Jean-Guy.

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