Fermes Leclair

We are a family-run market garden farm on Montréal’s South Shore

At Fermes Leclair, market gardening is more than a profession; it’s been a genuine passion handed down from one generation to the next since the 1800s. Our farm was officially founded in 1971 by André, Ernest and Maurice Leclair and has been run by Maurice with his children Jocelyn and Diane since 1995. Over the years, grandchildren Benjamin, Gabriel, Nicolas and Rosalie have joined the team, and this generation will eventually take over the business.

Today, our farm extends over some 375 hectares (925 acres) dedicated essentially to vegetable farming in the fertile area of Saint-Patrice-de-Sherrington, in the Montérégie region on Montréal’s South Shore.

Our company follows principles of eco-responsible farming, growing and packaging carrots, radishes, green onions, beets and fine herbs. Every year, we add more fresh vegetables in response to consumer demand and in keeping with our family’s focus on innovation as a core value. A large part of our produce is sold in supermarkets in Québec and other provinces, as well as in the United States.

Market gardeners committed to sustainability and innovation

The Leclair family believes in a positive attitude, dedication to excellence, and know-how as essential qualities for growing quality produce. Looking to the past for inspiration is a good place to start, but looking ahead to the future is also indispensable. In constant pursuit of innovation, our team applies good agricultural practices that respect the land, promote sustainable development, and ensure our future.

To that end, the company enforces a stringent on-farm food safety and traceability program. We are a member of the PRISME Consortium, an organization committed to crop tracing and monitoring as a means of minimizing pesticide use and reducing environmental impact. We also contribute to a number of research projects investigating:

  • Fertilization;
  • Pesticide reduction;
  • Trials of new cultivars; and
  • Development of novel techniques.

Family farm

Fermes Leclair: market gardening from generation to generation since the 1800s.

Environmentally responsible farming

Dedicated to implementing practices to promote sustainable development and respect for the earth.

Tradition and innovation

Founded in 1971, Fermes Leclair remains committed to innovation in response to consumer demand.

A growing passion

More than a profession, market gardening is above all a love story.

Our Produce

Fermes Leclair specializes in growing radishes (for sale on leaves and in cellophane), green onions, Nantes carrots and carrots on leaves, as well as beets (sold on leaves and bagged). All of our vegetables are processed and packaged in our warehouses, with particular care taken in handling so as to preserve full freshness before shipping. You can take a virtual tour of the facility and share in our passion for produce.

Fermes Leclair: Drawing strength from its team

Market gardening is above all a love story: one that depends on adaptability and resilience because success hinges on weather conditions, predator management, and market demand. Working as a family and building a diverse range of expertise is a definite plus: it means there is always someone ready to take over. Fermes Leclair is not only about strong family ties, it’s also about the contributions of our extended family, made up of more than 120 regular and seasonal workers from mid-June to the end of September. Nothing would be possible without this human input—hence the importance of surrounding ourselves with people committed to our shared objective: the company’s success and excellence.

Maurice Leclair

With his cheery disposition and the same passion that has driven him since he founded the farm in 1971, Maurice Leclair remains quite active on the team. While continuing to take an interest in the full range of operations, he is now mainly responsible for the design, assembly and management of our packing lines.

Diane Leclair

Diane has a diploma in farm management, and knew from a very young age that she would one day want to take over running the farm with her brother Jocelyn. While she is essentially in charge of the company’s administrative management, handling human resources and sales, Diane also oversees production, from harvesting to shipping.

Jocelyn Leclair

Jocelyn has a diploma in organic fruit and vegetable farming and is closely involved in managing Fermes Leclair’s operations. He also supervises all research and development, aimed at implementing good agricultural practices as part of a comprehensive vision. He is Chair of the Pôle d’excellence en lutte intégrée (PELI), or centre of excellence for integrated pest management, which promotes more widespread use of alternatives to pesticides and contributes to reducing their use in fruit and vegetable farming. He is also Chair of Phytodata Inc., which offers research consulting services to farm companies as well as manufacturers and distributors of phytosanitary solutions (fertilizers, seeds and other specific techniques). Lastly, he is a board member of Prisme, the leading farm crop tracing and monitoring network in Québec.

Gabriel, Rosalie, Benjamin et Nicolas

You could say that Jocelyn’s and Diane’s children were born on the farm. They help out with company operations in various areas when they’re not busy in the classroom. While some of them are intent on a career with us, we realize that at their age, the future is yet to be written. Perhaps in a few years’ time we’ll be able to say that the family business’s succession is well and truly assured!

 

Did you know?

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450 million seeds sown

We sow around 450 million vegetable seeds every year. Before one season is completed, we’re already getting ready to order seeds for the next. Our seed shipments then arrive beginning in March. After receiving...

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    Fermes Leclair

    The Leclair family is driven by a passion for market gardening handed down from one generation to the next since the 1800s. For fresh produce, grown with love and eco-responsibly on the South Shore of Montréal, choose carrots, radishes, green onions, beets and fine herbs from Fermes Leclair.

    Contact Information

    157, Rang St Pierre O. Sherrington, QC J0L 2N0
    Phone : 450 454-9027

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