Farm Life | Spring 2009
They outwit uncertainty with innovation.
By Jennifer Barber
Keeping pace with a constantly changing industry is key to running a successful hog operation. Marco Couture and Lyne Groleau, of St-Rémi de Tingwick, QC, say their love of the land, combined with good products, a meticulous work ethic and a team that’s aware of their challenges have all helped keep their operation thriving.
Last November, Lyne and Marco were named 2008 national co-winners of Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers’ (OYF) program. The couple first met while studying agriculture and maintained their connection to the farm after graduation. Lyne grew up on her family’s swine and dairy farm in St-Rémi de Tingwick, then after she finished school she joined the dairy side of the business. During that period Marco worked as a dairy and crop consultant. In 1992 the opportunity came to make Lyne’s family farm their own.
“One day my father came to us and told us that he was putting the farm up for sale,” says Lyne. “We knew right away that we wanted to accept the challenge of making (a living from farming) and building a family at the same time. We did a lot of research and decided that we would take on the hog business.”
Their first step was the formation of Porcherie Marigro, a 180-sow farrow-to-finish operation. They gained experience selling their stock to local processors and decided they could mitigate some market risk by selling directly to consumers. In 2004, after four years of study into pork production standards, and after carefully examining their market expectations, they built what is now a successful on-farm processing facility called La Jambonnière.
“We wanted to remain a small company, so we chose to diversify rather than just get bigger,” says Lyne. They realized a processing facility could help overcome market challenges while stabilizing income and ensuring a quality product for their customers.
Advocates for agriculture
To help the community understand more about the ins and outs of a hog operation, Marco and Lyne decided to create an open-door policy to their farm. They actively encourage visitors, offer tours to student groups and also hire co-op students every year.
“We’ve discovered that this is a great way of promoting our agriculture,” says Lyne. “Visitors to our farm say that listening to people like us speak about pork production and explain our processes on the farm gives them a clearer picture of what type of food is found on their plate. It can also clear up misconceptions about our industry.”
Many of their co-op students have no practical experience with hog operations when they begin their 12-week stint. But by the end, they have had their hands on all parts of the process. “They learn all the work on the farm — feeding, mating, weighing pigs, care of piglets at birth and even accounting,” says Lyne. “We had the opportunity to be interns when we were in school, so we can now give back what we received.”
“To grow each of their enterprises, (the 2008) OYF winners began with a priority of maximizing herd productivity, and from there the opportunities are endless,” says Richard Stamp, president of OYF. “(Lyne and Marco) have made the important decision to use their operation to help others understand agriculture — school children and rural visitors alike — an activity that may well be as vital to the future of agriculture as the products they produce.”
A family affair
While Lyne and Marco work closely on all aspects of their business, they split up the work. Lyne manages the production side of the farm and Marco manages the processing facility. “This makes for better management of work,” says Lyne. “However, good communication is essential and we do not hesitate to be there for each other if the need arises.”
Since they took over the farm, they’ve made tremendous gains in the number of weaned pigs per sow from 17.9 in 1993 to 27.4 in 2008. They now have two full-time employees on the livestock end, while the processing facility has 10 employees and five seasonal workers.
In addition, the couple’s five daughters, aged 10 to 16, participate in the day-to-day operation of the farm. “Our strength is teamwork, whether in the home, farm or market. Our daughters give us a hand in all areas,” says Lyne. “At the market our customers really like talking with the girls — they have a great deal of knowledge about what we do and how pork can be prepared.”
The couple hope their daughters will follow in their footsteps someday, but say they will respect what their children decide. Whichever career paths they choose, they hope they bring as much satisfaction as their own careers in agriculture.
Looking forward
One of the ongoing challenges for Lyne and Marco has been managing waste. The Quebec government imposes tough manure disposal regulations. To address this, Lyne and Marco have manure-spreading agreements with two of their neighbours.
Looking to the future, the couple believe the environment will continue to be an important consideration. “We want to be a company that is the envy of all — a dynamic and at the same time, profitable venture,” she says. “We expect to process all the pigs that come from our breeding program, and we want to emphasize product quality.” FF
