Ferme Nordest, where the cattle roam the Laurentians

Located in Mont-Laurier, Ferme Nordest spreads across 1200 acres of land including 500 acres of Quebec wilderness. Roger Raymond, Céline Bélec and their son David, the 5th generation farmer to grow up working on their ancestral land, take care of the farm and their pure Angus closed herd cattle. "Nordest is a living replica of how farming was done by my father and my grandfather," says Roger, "a farm where cattle roam the lands freely, have plenty of space to move in the barns, and grow at their natural pace - without any use of growth hormones or antibiotics." All that land also means bears are a very real threat to the herd, so the family has to keep watch. To keep animals healthy, Nordest’s pure Angus breed cattle never interacts with other animals, keeping the breed clean and reducing the risk of disease. “Don’t get me wrong. If a cow is sick, we use antibiotics to help it get better. We instead choose not to practice preventive antibiotic supplementation,” explains Céline. Hormones are also not welcome at Ferme Nordest. “A while back I spoke with a representative and asked if the added hormones remain in meat once delivered to the customer, and all they could say is that there is no significant evidence either way,” Céline told us, “so the decision was simple...no hormones.” As a result, Nordest’s cattle grow at their own pace, slower but healthier. Roger always stood out of the crowd for doing things differently, humanely, and he is often criticized for running his business in an unprofitable way. Roger and his family grow barley, wheat and oats for their cattle, and this great care for the animal is reflected in the superior quality of their products which brings them loyal and appreciative customers. “Our customers are our best inspectors,” says Céline. At Boucherie Nordest in Mont-Laurier, you’ll find an impressive selection of fresh sous-vide packaged cuts of veal, beef, lamb, and pork. On the farm, they only keep their Angus herd of a couple hundred animals, and the rest of their cuts come from neighbouring farmers who share Nordest’s values and practice sustainable farming. Ferme Nordest’s reputation precedes them. Known for their values and fresh cuts, a few great restaurants, such as Lawrence on St-laurent street and Les 400 Coups in the old port, have been customers for a number of years now. The quality and flavor of their cuts, along with made-to-order preparation and responsible practices, has led Montreal chefs to source from Nordest. And by going directly to the source, you get the freshest cuts of sustainably grown, free run and grass fed Angus beef, at prices often better than elsewhere. We’re thrilled to be working with this incredible farm to bring their fresh, local, and responsible products to Lufavores. You can now order any of their many products in your basket, and Céline’s team will get up in the middle of the night to prepare your order. We’re also working on per-gram automated pricing for the Marketplace meat selection, coming soon - until that system is introduced, there’s a drop-down menu option to make it easy to choose by weight. You’ll find more new cuts and products from Ferme Nordest each week, so stay tuned and get ready for the best BBQ season ever! And for the colder months, try Céline’s favourite winter recipe of slow-cooked roast beef with onion soup.

Happy appétit Lufavore!