The big fans will switch off. In a few days we will no longer hear them like the lungs of the greenhouse where Marie-Josée Daguerre has run out of strength and Le Devoir tells her story.
The hovering sword of Damocles has fallen: the Jardins de la Pinède is filing for bankruptcy. Or better said: “I have to file for bankruptcy,” emphasizes the co-owner of the restaurant. Without denying its shared responsibility, it blames the financial institutions.
According to Ms Daguerre, the organic farm in Oka has been struggling to survive for several months as its finances have been strained by a poorly rated greenhouse project. Last Friday she wrote to her members: “Everything is collapsing.” This time the deadline has really come. On Sunday the laying hens were placed with foster families. Meat, vegetables and fruit were liquidated.
What also immediately repulses them is the huge amount of waste in the preparation. Hydro-Québec has already announced that the electricity will be switched off in the coming days. Since it is not possible to open the roof or provide mechanical ventilation, the temperature in the premises rises to over 40 °C. As a result, “thousands” of plants, fruits and vegetables rot or dry out.
While she waits for “a miracle”, she is now worried about this production, planted and cared for with the sweat of her brow and her team, since she, who lived on the farm, has to move today: “The whole team that has been living on the Those who lived on farms found themselves on the streets. Without an apartment, without a car, without money. »
After nine years of operation, the site has become “a symbol of what local agriculture should look like,” Ms. Daguerre says. So much so that the television series “Le temps des framboises” was partially filmed there. She even says that “it was the community that raised the alarm”: “We often say that when we close a dairy farm, we close a family.” This is a community we are closing. »
Financial debacle
At the heart of the problem is a lack of liquidity, which has been evident since the construction of the four-season greenhouse. Les Jardins de la Pinède had received a loan of more than 4 million dollars, a great impetus to dream of local farming all year round.
By the time construction began in 2021, the cost of building materials had increased so much that the greenhouse’s square footage had to be reduced. However, with a view to possible expansion, several larger production facilities were purchased from the original project. However, the financial burden proved to be too great.
Mismanagement? Bad choose ? “I’m a producer, not an accountant,” Ms. Daguerre replies. She considers that the support received was “outdated” and “inappropriate” given its size: “Neither Desjardins nor Financière agricole raised a red flag.” [au moment de la révision]. They have not reassessed the viability of the project. »
The farmer describes this greenhouse as a “white elephant” and says she is aware that the farm is not viable in the current situation. Reorganization plans and even takeovers have been filed, particularly with Financière agricole du Québec. But the producer regrets receiving rejections.
Although several interventions have been carried out, in recent months these have mainly been “talks between lawyers”, with the hope of an “opening up” from creditors.
The office of the Minister of Agriculture André Lamontagne is aware of this situation and describes it as extremely delicate. The teams received a detailed report that revealed great complexity, it said, although they remained cautious given the confidentiality of the file. La Financière assured the Lamontagne company that several proposals had been submitted to find a viable solution. The watchword that the minister conveys to the financial institution in the current inflation context is flexibility and support, it is emphasized.
According to the commercial register, Les Jardins de la Pinède still partly belongs to Ms. Daguerre’s former husband. However, she assures that he can no longer be seen in the portrait.
The Pinède team was waiting impatiently for a grant from Hydro-Québec that would have given them a boost, she says. The farmer would have liked a moratorium on repayments that would have given him a break to replenish his coffers. At the time of writing it was not possible to confirm this information with Financière.
Laid off workers
Depending on the season, the farm employed between 30 and 40 people. Many of them were temporary foreign workers. Most of them had to leave empty-handed, even if their contract had not yet expired. By Monday afternoon, only three remained, those who held more responsible positions.
Claudio Morales Escalante also regrets putting his beak in the water. “The economic situation in Guatemala is very difficult and I have to feed my family,” says the production manager from the Central American country. This father of three had two months left on his contract.
Some of his recently arrived colleagues are having a harder time. “I started sending more money to my family,” says Rudy Rairo Cun after reimbursing certain expenses.
They are afraid of returning to their country of origin and having to wait several years until an opportunity to work in Quebec arises. “If we could find another job this week, we would be completely ready,” said Mr. Morales Escalante, who was in his fifth year at Jardins de la Pinède and his 12th on farms in Quebec.
As we emerge from the greenhouses, shelves reveal dozens of small plants that are already somewhat stunted. “These are bok choy and Chinese cabbage plants. We stopped watering them. That’s what awaits everything else,” Ms. Daguerre said, lowering her gaze.