Quebec’s Sylvain Laquerre Farm Wins the Dairy Farm Sustainability Award

I take a lot of Daycation photos. I happen to have several of Ontario farms!

Here is a great story about Canadian farmers-
From their publicist...
Too often farmers get a bad rap from environmentalists. They are blamed for runoff water contamination and increasing carbon emissions. But many of today's farmers have become some of Canada's leading sustainability activists and experts.

Farmers Feed Cities

 This year's winner of the Dairy Farm Sustainability Award, Sylvain Laquerre and his family have
farmed their land for over 200 years. Given this connection to their land they have recognized the importance of creating sustainable business practices to ensure their family farm is around for hundreds of years to come. For instance, instead of tilling, which is a timely process that can damage the soil; Sylvain took his farming back to basics and uses worms. Sylvain's worms do in one winter, what would take a tiller almost 5 years to do.


They are also conscious of the watershed and have taken a leadership role in their community to preserve and clean up local waterways. These types of practices not only sustain the farm and save the environment, but they also save money which makes for a more profitable business.

Toronto, July 24, 2013 – Today, Sylvain Laquerre, Noëlline Dusablon and their son Benoit accepted the Dairy Farm Sustainability Award from Wally Smith, President of the Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) and Andrew Ritchie, Managing Director, DeLaval Inc.- DeLaval. This year, these sixth- and seventh-generation farmers are celebrating the 200th anniversary of their family farm in Saint-Casimir (Quebec).

The finalists' profiles and a video of the winners’ farm are available on the DFC website.

Prairie farm, 2007

The selection committee, consisting of nine sustainability experts, was particularly impressed with the winners’ efforts in protecting the watershed and with their involvement in habitat conservation projects and their contribution to the advancement of new practices. The Sylvain Laquerre farm adopted these practices with the aim of reducing their environmental footprint.

The other two finalists, namely Terryland Farms Inc. (Ontario) and Rimrose Dairy Ltd. (Alberta), will also receive a trophy and a $1,000 prize during the annual general meeting of their respective provinces within the next few months.

For more information:
Thérèse Beaulieu
Assistant Director, Strategic Communications
Dairy Farmers of Canada