Les Jardins du Petit-Pré is a small family business located in Quebec and specialized in growing tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers. Quebec is a Canadian province where traditional and local horticulture has received a lot of attention from the public and the government because they want to be independent in terms of food production.
More room for passion
Dominique Huot and Mélanie Giroux decided to make more room for their passions. The couple was in the habit of planting a garden every year. Mélanie took care of all the seedlings for the garden, as well as the annual flowers. In addition to doing all her own flower potting, she meticulously maintained all her flower beds around the house.
During the winter of 2017, the couple discovered the Les Jardins du Petit-Pré gardening property for sale. After much thought and several family conversations with their son Jérémie, they decided to start the process of acquiring the vegetable farm that would allow them to establish the base to live their passions!
Seeking advice and knowledge
The Quebec government has established technical and financial assistance programs for all types of activities to promote greenhouse horticulture for higher yields and better quality. Their roots did not lie in horticulture and sought advice and knowledge. A consultant taught them the basics and how to work based on environmental conditions.
“Looking for the right information, consulting experts, we applied for funding, had to sign documents, meetings, phone calls … and finally on November 30, 2018, the purchase of the farm was formalized at the notary,” told Mélanie Giroux, owner of Les Jardins du Petit-Pré in Château-Richer.
They were looking for support that could help them take the next step and ended up at Luis Trujillo, Sales Manager at Hoogendoorn Growth Management. “We chose Hoogendoorn because of the flexibility, responsiveness and high quality of the solutions,” said Mélanie Giroux.
They installed an iSii process computer that met their basic needs. Now they are able to control irrigation, heating and cooling. The result is increased yields and higher product quality.
Vision
The vision of Les Jardins du Petit-Pré is to constantly improve with the goal of growing and offering fresh quality produce that their customers will appreciate for its taste, freshness and appearance. “The iSii helps us better manage irrigation, heating and ventilation parameters. It also help us stay in line with our vision. We will have much more time to plan and analyze data,” told Mélanie Giroux.
Now they feel stronger and better prepared to expand their greenhouse operations and provide the local market with a fresh, locally grown, high-quality product. “Our customers are the reason for our existence and are always our priority,” adds Mélanie Giroux. They have their own store and agreements with other retailers to sell their unique product. Being able to fully control their environment, they are thinking of expanding their 50 acres.
A look at the future
When asked about their wishes and expectations for the future regarding Hoogendoorn, Mélanie Giroux replied; “We look forward to continue to build the relationship with Hoogendoorn so that we continue to receive updates that allow us to continue to innovate and improve..”
We want to continue to support them with technology and service in this area. What was first a family dream has become a reality and Hoogendoorn is proud to be a part of it.