Your business, Ferme Marineau, is…

We are the fourth generation of Marineaus to farm land in Laval. The story began in the 1920s with my great-grandmother Odile who grew tobacco, daisies and vegetables. She would go by horse-drawn carriage to sell her produce at the Saint-Jacques market in Montreal. She was very avant-garde for her time: she was the one who kept the books and bought the land.

The business then passed to my grandfather, then to my father and my uncles. When it was my brother Martin and I's turn, we wanted to differentiate ourselves by founding Fleurineau. We became the largest Canadian producers of dried flowers. When this trend passed, we returned to the source with fruits and vegetables. Our children are starting to get involved in the farm. My oldest, Mathis, 16, is growing melon varieties this summer.

What challenges does being dependent on the good weather represent?

The impact of the season is major. Let's take the example of last spring which was very cold. Summer arrived very late.. (Hi Louis!, we hear from the blueberry greenhouses. Ah! Hi Momo!) Consequently, our three stores opened 10 days later. The corn is also two weeks late. For any entrepreneur, it is huge to lose two weeks of sales without selling pies, fruits and vegetables...

Not to mention that we are dependent on the weather during the summer. Our pickers started working in the raspberry fields later this morning because of the rain. If there is a storm today (it is 40 with the humidex), they will have to stop. Wet raspberries rot. If it rains for two days, I could lose them, because they are ready. We follow the weather a lot, we adjust, but we can't control everything.

What do you do to maximize your season?

We do what is necessary to have beautiful, quality products. Then, we think a lot about families. Pick-your-own is very popular. We have set up a park for children, picnic areas. We offer rental spaces for children's parties, we organize special activities like goat yoga or corn roasts. We want people to take ownership of the space, for us to be their neighborhood garden. I don't think we should be selfish and keep these lands for ourselves. It's rather a win-win to open our doors and our fields.

[Editor's note] Strawberry picking is now over. Due to COVID, blueberry picking is not open this year, as Public Health standards were impossible to meet in the blueberry fields. Until further notice, special activities are also cancelled. However, the three kiosks as well as the picnic and play areas at Ferme Marineau remain open.

What does your peak season look like?

We work 7 days a week and up to 15 hours a day until mid-September. I take a Sunday afternoon when possible, but not during the self-picking, there are just too many people!

And the bass?

In the fall, things slow down, but we still have to pick everything up, put it away, shelter our fruit, put straw on our strawberries, prepare for the next season… So we run a little longer. The off-season is when it snows. We take advantage of it to rest, go on vacation in the sun. See friends, get back to life, regain our strength for spring.

We talk about the joys of summer... What do you do to enjoy them?

Occasionally, after my day of work, I love to go eat with my three children on the terrace of Peter's Cape Cod in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, on the waterfront with a view of the locks. It's a beautiful place and it makes me feel like I'm on vacation.

And what would be your favorite seasonal business?

Quickly, I think of the Givrés in the Old Port of Montreal, which does on-site processing like we do with fruit and which is also concerned with using local products. I think it's a great summer business.