A local collective of blueberry growers stretching the season together.
In Quebec, blueberry season is a much-anticipated time, kicking off in early July and usually lasting a short and sweet three weeks. But thanks to our dedicated berry-picking friends and their growing collective, the season has been successfully stretched and our Marketplace will be stocked until the end of summer.
In 2016, Benoit Coulombe and Nancy Blanchette had a vision to make every year’s harvest more bountiful than the last. Collectif Giroflée is proof that it’s possible, bringing together nine farms from the Montérégie and Eastern Townships regions. By working together, these farmers can understand each other’s realities, share knowledge, and keep their yields steady - ultimately helping one another flourish in an industry where every little advantage counts.
Watch the video for a deeper dive into Collectif Grioflée and scroll down to read for yourself.
In the world of organic farming, it’s more about collaboration than competition. Now, Benoit and his co-manager Mariklôde have boosted the collective’s supply, growing 22 different varieties of bluebs. Varieties like Duke pop up in July, while others like Dixie ripen in September - thanks to teamwork and careful planning, we can enjoy a longer, juicier season of fresh blueberries.
Collective efforts keep prices steady to take on foreign competition. On his land, Benoit and his team test out new processes and potential blueberry varieties - and when they find a winner, these innovations are shared with other farms, empowering their network to offer better prices. By joining forces, they can sell larger volumes to local grocery stores (and us!), taking international producers head-on.
Every farm uses its own set of clever biocontrols to manage their unique spaces. For instance, Benoit introduced huts - one for swallows to tackle pesky insects, and another for hawks to keep smaller, berry-loving birds and ground animals at bay. Together they live in harmony, helping the farm stay protected.
Bringing in veggies to up their growing game. In 2020, Collectif Giroflée introduced a range of organic vegetables to keep profits steady throughout the season. By adding eggplant, zucchini, okra, ground cherries, and hot peppers to their lineup, they’ve created a stable financial flow, helping the farms thrive beyond blueberry season. Check out our Marketplace to get a taste of their mix of organic bluebs.
