The Mange tes Légumes market garden was founded in 2022 in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield.
Since construction began on the Masson Bridge on Boulevard Hébert, the small business has seen a decline in visitors. “The current economic climate is also a factor, but all in all, things are going well,” explained co-owner Frédérique Boucher, who runs the farm with her partner, Jean-Nicholas Gareau.
The farm offers the usual vegetables, including tomatoes, peppers, carrots, cucumbers, zucchini, beets, and radishes. In total, about twenty varieties are available. They also produce certain kinds of fruit as well, including watermelons and ground cherries.
Boucher previously worked as a special education technician in the field of health. “It all started with a desire to change careers. It was truly a 180-degree turn,” she said.
“Back then, we had a vegetable garden at home where the whole family loved to work. We would experiment with different crops and improving it each year,” said Boucher. In 2020, she returned to school to study horticulture production. She then completed a course in farm business management to acquire the necessary skills to start the farm.
In 2022, the couple settled on the land passed down through generations of Gareau’s family. “That adds even more symbolic value for us, being able to farm the land here,” she said.
The couple first set up a small self-service kiosk at the entrance to the farm before expanding to a full-fledged store in 2025. Starting this year, the business also began offering ready-to-eat meals, including shepherd’s pie with cheese curds, pasta, quiches, gourmet salads, soups, and homemade herbs. “We will be open year-round for the first time in 2026,” said Boucher.
Their production expanded in the early years, but recruitment challenges have slowed this growth. “Last year, we decided to hire a foreign worker for 2026, and we are satisfied with the results. We’re repeating the process next year and supplementing our workforce with local labour.”
Mange tes Légumes also sells products from other local businesses. “This allows us to showcase other farms and local businesses by carrying the products they produce better than we do, and ultimately to offer our customers a nice variety,” said Boucher.