Having studied horticulture, Chantal Labelle never thought she would one day find herself managing her own garlic farm. And yet, here she is today, at the head of La Belle Gousse , accompanied for almost three years by Laurent Dubois, his “right-hand man”, who thanks to his multiple talents has allowed the company to take on new momentum.
Portrait of a farmer and her farm that will introduce you to Quebec garlic in all its forms!
From flowers to garlic flower
Chantal's career path is the perfect example of the expression "chance does things well." Indeed, it was thanks to one of her contacts in the horticultural world that she started growing garlic, even though she knew almost nothing about it at the start.
Together, they started a project to grow 10,000 garlic plants. Over the years and through learning, she developed a passion for the crop, so much so that when her business partner at the time disassociated himself from the project, she continued to grow garlic on her own on a small scale.
Wanting to see her small business grow, it was finally in 2011 that Chantal bought the small farmhouse that now houses La Belle Gousse.
La Belle Gousse: more than a farm, a guarantee of quality
When it first began, La Belle Gousse farm produced only long-life fall garlic. The goal was simple, but important: to cultivate high-quality garlic, from seed to the drying method for long-term storage.
And at La Belle Gousse, there's no question of using pesticides or chemical fertilizers! The quality of our production is based on an ecological cultivation approach based on precise parameters, which give the garlic plants enough space and ventilation to thrive without the addition of chemicals.
Then, over the years and with the desire to see her business evolve, Chantal naturally began to create processed garlic products, starting with dehydrated garlic and garlic flowers.
Today, the farm offers an impressive range of garlic, garlic scape and black garlic products (their star product!): black garlic honey, garlic scape pesto, garlic powder, pickled garlic... It's not for nothing that the farm proudly displays its slogan: "Garlic in all its forms"!
Moreover, La Belle Gousse's guarantee of quality remains in its processed products. The ingredients Chantal doesn't produce herself come mainly from neighboring farms, or at least from Quebec.
For example, the garlic flower pesto recipe replaces olive oil with cold-pressed Quebec sunflower oil, and traditional pine nuts with Quebec hemp seeds.
A 100% local company, just the way we like them!
A visit to the La Belle Gousse farm
Connecting with people and educating people about garlic growing have always been important to Chantal Labelle. In recent years, she has sought to forge even closer ties with her customers and community by creating a more comprehensive agritourism offering.
For some time now, the farm has been developing an interpretive tour on garlic cultivation, a unique project in Quebec. This tour answers questions about the specific cultivation of fall garlic, the stages of harvesting and drying garlic for its long-term preservation, the processing of black garlic, etc.
A visit to La Belle Gousse can only end with one conclusion: Quebec garlic tastes much better!
