When you connect with your community, everything you do within it has a deeper meaning, especially when you’re growing nutritious food to feed your friends and neighbors. La Ferme Coopérative Aux Champs Qui Chantent is a worker-owned, worker-run cooperative with a mission to create local food sovereignty through the organic and regenerative production of a variety of farm goods. Founding members Jenna Jacobs and Eby Heller believe that organic food is not a luxury – it’s a human right – and they’re doing everything they can, along with their team of eight others, to make a steady flow of nutritious food a reality for everyone in their region, regardless of income.
The farm co-op sits on 114 acres of land, about an hour northwest of Montreal, at the base of the Canadian Shield, and benefits from fertile soil and picturesque surroundings. Half of the farm is forested with cedar and hardwood, creating a biodiverse haven for wildlife. A pond on the property handles irrigation needs and is home to frogs, herons, and a family of beavers. The rest of the land is pasture, divided into small fields by tree lines and windbreaks. Fruits and vegetables grow on only five acres, allowing for long rotations to replenish the soil between seasons. All farm animals spend their lives outdoors, grazing the fields on a permaculture-inspired rotational basis. The vegetables, eggs, and cut flowers from La Ferme Coopérative Aux Champs Qui Chantent are certified organic by Ecocert Canada.
The farm runs a versatile CSA program in the summer and winter. In the summer, customers receive 24 baskets of fresh vegetables, from mid-June through mid-November. Organic egg, kale, and cut-flower shares are also available and can be added to the weekly baskets. The unique winter basket CSA offers clients a selection of cold-season vegetables from several local farms. New this year, the co-op is introducing Equitable Winter Baskets. By choosing this option, customers voluntarily pay more for their veg to ensure fair wages for the farmers. For those who can’t afford the higher price, the farm has kept its vegetables at the same price as in previous years, so they remain accessible. Finally, Solidarity Baskets are offered at below cost; generous clients can pay for one, and the farm will redistribute them to those in need. Beyond the solidarity basket, La Ferme aux Champs qui Chantent donates massive amounts of food to various community organizations.
Besides becoming a CSA member, people can get involved in the farm’s fantastic work through various employment and internship opportunities, volunteer work, and a Wwoof program. All are welcome, and there is nothing better than connecting with the community and feeding people food that heals.
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