From one stand to another, there was chatter, a glass in hand of Bal des oiseaux, from Maison agricole Joyhill , when it wasn't an artisanal Grisette blonde from Dunham or cider with wild rose flowers. They seemed like the best of friends, even in the juice, grilling, seasoning, dressing, serving. Always a wink at the neighbor, smiles exchanged. Children running across. A cellist and a guitarist, Georges Ouel , with tunes of Brassens. Fire pits too, for this first evening of fall. This scene is that of the Pop-up of farms and restaurants of Brome-Mississquoi .

True artisans of transformation

Jérémie Postel is a forest lover. He is an outdoor guide, environmental educator, trail marker, mountain planner, and tree climber. He eats nature!

And the play on words is not insignificant. Because Jérémie is also the largest producer of honey macerated with fir in Quebec. His traditional knowledge in botany and all the heritage transmitted and accumulated over the years are at the heart of his responsible gourmet business which offers forest products made on a small scale with artisans with precious know-how.

Passionate transformers, they all are. Young and beautiful. Fathers, devoted hipsters or seasoned couples. “We want the restaurateur to rediscover the fire that drives him,” explained Sandra Jarry, one of the partners of La Famille, a village refreshment bar, but also the instigator and organizer of the pop-up for two years. That includes taking time for himself, for his family, instead of being constantly under pressure.

We need to restore the reputation of this demanding profession, make it viable and healthy, and remove the idealism that causes so many small restaurants to open everywhere and close quickly... We already knew before the pandemic that it was time to reinvent the model that was starting to crumble. Being a restaurateur (...) means knowing how to transform and enhance products, but also being a good manager, having a good head on your shoulders (...) and above all, being truly passionate! "To which one of the owners of the recent Dunham Smokehouse vehemently agrees: "You really have to love it to make 90/h a week!" It should also be said that he is the owner of the first BOHO boutique hotel in Quebec, which is above the popular Brasserie Dunham , and that he participated in the creation of the espacedunham and its beergarden. He eats it too!

So, it gives works of art like the one opposite, but also a beef tartare, emulsion with fermented peppers and marinated mushrooms from Comptoir Moutarde , or the zucchini strings, marinated burnt peppers, fried onions, hazelnuts and radish and celery salad from l' Archipel .

Local partnerships

For the event, but also in their daily work, the Smokehouse is paired with Pâturages du Lac-Brome and the Coop de solidarité des Jardins du pied de céleri , Pittnik de Bromont with the vegetable gardens of Nues-Mains de Sutton, La Famille with the Paloma farm of Saint-Armand and the 45e Parallèle de Stanbridge, etc. Growers, organic breeders and cooks intertwined in a joyful and proud sarabande to highlight all the richness of our land, a culinary heritage to be promoted.

"These restaurants are called "hyperlocal" because they source locally all year round. They collaborate and invest directly in human-scale farms that are nearby. Culinary creators are the allies, spokespersons and showcases par excellence for the products and hard work of the market gardens and producers with whom they work," we can read on the Pop-up website.

“It’s fabulous,” explains Jérémie. “I’m coming from France, where the culture of small markets and mutual assistance between producers and restaurateurs has always existed. There is still so much to do in Quebec and the future of agri-food is full of great promise.”

The CLD of Brome-Mississquoi is launching its local procurement guide at the end of the month, aimed first at businesses in the local food ecosystem, then at consumers. “I’ve been working on the project for over a year,” says coordinator Leslie Carbonneau with stars in her eyes. “I’ve identified 220 so far, and I just spoke to two growers who aren’t there yet!” We’ll also have to manage this great growth at some point and help all these great people with marketing, confirms Jérémie.

From farm to table. Sustainable relationships with producers. Short circuits. Ecological local agriculture. Human-scale organic farms. Traceability and authenticity of products. Passionate and responsible creators. Local. Hyper-local, even. A utopia? In the Brome-Mississquoi region, it is becoming a reality, and the pop-up is its natural showcase. A great example to follow.