Our Farms

 

Delfland Inc.

For Delfland, it all began in 1954 when Arie Van Winden and his bride Cisca, immigrated from Holland to come and work with Arie’s brothers. In 1958, they bought and cultivate land while continuing to collaborate with Pierre and John Van Winden.

The company Delfland, named after Arie and Cisca’s hometown was officially born in 1983 when Arie partnered with two of his sons, Yvon and Leo. They are cultivating 80 acres.

Together, they gradually build a beautiful thriving business and their younger brothers, Stéphane, Eric and Martin, joined the company. Between 1998 and 2004, they bought more land in the area and eventually concentrate their resources in the municipality of Napierville.

Today, the company cultivates more than a thousand acres of land. It has beyond 175 people seasonally, including several sisters-in-law, children, nieces and nephews … It’s a modern version of the family business!

Still growing, projects keep coming in Delfland. Buildings expand, equipments are being modernized and the team keeps track of the latest technologies in order to be proactive in how to grow and respond to market demands. It is therefore natural that the company meets the highest requirements in terms of food safety.

The culture of the dry shallot has become over time the specialty at Delfland. Add to this the Chinese radish crops as well as the romaine lettuce, Iceberg lettuce, onions and carrots.

 
 

Les Fermes Hotte et Van Winden Inc.

In 1979, two childhood friends, Yvan Hotte and Jean-Bernard Van Winden decide to join their destinies and build Les Fermes Hotte and Van Winden Inc. They buy land in Napierville, near Jean-Bernard’s family farm. In the early years, the farm works to reorganize and modernize infrastructure and equipment. It’s cultivating 110 acres.

The year 1989 marked a turning point when Nicole, wife of Ivan, and Lucille, wife of Jean-Bernard, officially integrate the company. The farm buys new land and increases its size to 180 acres.

During the 1990s, the farm contributes to a new research project in collaboration with Agriculture Canada for the development of new lettuce varieties. So far three new varieties, directly resulting from this program, are cultivated by Vegpro International’s growers.

In the 2000s, the company continues to grow and the second generation begins to get involved. Marc-André and Martin, son of Jean-Bernard and Lucille, and Marc-Oliver and Laurent, son of Yvan and Nicole, officially become shareholders in 2004.

Currently, the farm cultivates about 750 acres and specializes in Iceberg and Romaine lettuce, onion, leek, carrot, Chinese cabbage and bok choy.

 
 

Les Productions Horticoles Van Winden Inc.

Everything starts in the early ’50s, when John Van Winden leaves Holland with his brother Pierre to live in Quebec. There he meets his future wife, Margaret, and together they decide to settle in Sherrington to cultivate land.

Les Productions Horticoles Van Winden is official in the early 1990s, when their sons Patrick and Denys, and their spouses Lucie and Claire, take over the family farm of 150 acres.

In the 2000s, the next generation seems to want to join in. Marc, the son of Claire and Denys, joins the team with the purchase of 250 acres. Then, over time, his sisters Sylvie and Dominique are more and more involved in the management of the farm.

Year after year, many improvements are made to the fields such as drainage, irrigation basin, wells, and farm roads to facilitate culture, etc. Today the company has more than 600 acres and 50 seasonal employees.

Involvement in agriculture has always been very important for Les Productions Horticoles Van Winden. The company is a founding member of a detection and control system network (PRISM), a shareholder for two co-packing companies: carrots (SAPEC) and onions (Onipro), and partner in a cooling and packaging facility for lettuce (Multi-Veg Coop).

Vegetable production such as Iceberg and romaine lettuce, celery, carrots and onions fill the land of the company. Passionate about agriculture, the Van Winden Family has concerns for the quality of their vegetables as well as the respect of their environment.

 
 

Maraîchers JPL. Guérin et fils Inc.

Maraîchers JPL. Guérin et fils Inc. is a family business, founded by Jean-Paul and Louise Guerin, which was created in 1983 in the small town of Ste-Clotilde. Since 1986, it is located in Sherrington.

In 1998, the couple’s eldest son, Jean-Claude, joined the company. Then in 2003, the youngest son, Robert, joined the shareholders to form a dynamic team.

The company specializes in growing lettuce (Iceberg and Romaine), yellow and red onion and orange and colored carrots. It now grows about 500 acres of vegetables in the muck soils of Sherrington.

Recently, the family business has added more land near the farm. The team has then invested in a project in rehabilitation and cultivation. Similarly, the facilities have been improved to better meet the needs of the company. New greenhouses were built, reaching today more than one acre of covered area to produce particularly lettuce transplants.

New technologies are also an integral part of the life of the company. It is actively involved in research to minimize the use of pesticides. Indeed, the company is at the forefront in the environmental field, for which, it is very concerned about. Rigorous standards are met to ensure the safety and traceability of vegetables. In addition, the company invests in research for genetic improvement of lettuce varieties.

 
 

Vert Nature Inc.

Faced with the growing potential of baby lettuces, the partners of Vegpro International Inc. decided to establish a corporate farm dedicated solely to their culture.

In 2000, the first land is rented from one of the partner’s farm and mesclun’s culture begins immediately. In the following years, Vert Nature acquires its own land and expands in Quebec and then Florida to allow production during the winter months.

Today, Vert Nature grows over 2000 acres in Quebec and 1100 in Florida. It not only cultivates baby lettuces, spinach and brassicas, but also Iceberg and Romaine lettuce, carrots and onions. Everything allows good crop rotations. The Corporate Farm has become a real hub for research and development and more than 300 new varieties are tested each year.

A farm of this magnitude requires a lot of staff coordination. During high season, more than 200 employees work together. Some of our employees travel from Quebec to Florida following the activities throughout the year. Teams are divided into several departments, such as soil preparation, planting, harvesting, pest or mechanical maintenance. Several houses were built in order to accommodate our seasonal employees.

Finally, major efforts are made to improve and protect the land. From drainage work to the construction of dikes, through the installation of underground aqueducts, priority is given to water management.