A land with less and less peasants (22 images)

CANADA - St-Jacques de Montcalm, Qc - July 2010. St-Jacques is a rural village founded in 1770 by Acadian coming from Boston on their deportation walk. They named their village in honor of St-Jacques de Compostelle, starting point of the famous European pilgrimage.

For 200 years, the community relied on agricultural activities. Most villagers had a farm of subsistence and supplemented their incomes with more specific cultures like cigar tobacco and dairy production. Nowaday,...
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CANADA - St-Jacques de Montcalm, Qc - July 2010. St-Jacques is a rural village founded in 1770 by Acadian coming from Boston on their deportation walk. They named their village in honor of St-Jacques de Compostelle, starting point of the famous European pilgrimage.

For 200 years, the community relied on agricultural activities. Most villagers had a farm of subsistence and supplemented their incomes with more specific cultures like cigar tobacco and dairy production. Nowaday, tobacco culture is no longer in practice and the old tobacco cooperative is used for seeds storages.

At the beginning of the 20th century, two thirds of the Inhabitants of Quebec live in the countryside, along the plain of the St. Lawrence. Agriculture dominates and some co-operatives are setting-up to supply the farmers and to process their production. In December 1922, a law allows the creation of "Cooperative Fédérée" by the fusion of three co-operative. The "Cooperative Fédérée" became a large company during the Second world war.

Sylvio Pauze, 83, is returning on his old farmland. HIs father had bought the 50 acres farm in 1939. They had 7-8 cows and cultivated 10 acres of tobacco. Sylvio sold the farm in 1958 to get married and work in a federal penitentiary.

The Pauze's farm is now part of a multi hundreds acres farm, mostly all sown in corn for bio-fuel.

On other hand, Jacques Desrochers did make a different choice and expanded his family ancestral farm from 130 acres up to 700, to compete in the milk production universe. In Quebec, the dairy farmer must buy quota for their daily production. The selling prices, uniforms, make it possible for the producers to receive an equitable income.

Richard and Francine Perron made a different choice. "La Ferme Perron" is a 200 acres fruits and vegetables farm. Rather than selling their production to purchasers' conglomerates, the owners prefer to offer it directly to consumers and develop a relationship with clients and workers.
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