The team at Les Cultures de chez nous is proud to offer you quality fruits and vegetables since 1981. Find out how our farming adventure began and learn more about the history of our family farm, which produces leeks, asparagus, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and squashes in Sainte‑Brigitte‑des‑Saults.
Our commitment and history
Our mission
Our mission is to remain Canada’s leader in the leeks production by satisfying and retaining our customers and employees. We are committed to offering and producing superior-quality food year-round through sustainable agricultural practices.
Our values
Family: Because family is at the heart of our farm, and every employee feels at home here.
Innovation: To promote sustainable agriculture and cultivate a better future filled with fresh fruits and vegetables.
Environment: To care for the soil that feeds us and to offer sustainable agriculture for future generations.
Respect: Because everyone deserves to be treated fairly, to be listened to, and to be valued.
Teamwork: Because it’s thanks to our fantastic team that we can offer you quality fruits and vegetables every day.
From our beginnings to today
Les Cultures de chez nous is a family‑run vegetable farm in Sainte‑Brigitte‑des‑Saults, thanks to Michelle Rajotte and Louis‑Marie Jutras. Initially, they worked as secretaries and cartographers, respectively. It all began in 1978 when Michelle and Louis‑Marie started growing Quebec asparagus on weekends. Louis‑Marie, motivated by instinct and a desire to build something of his own, bought his father‑in‑law’s neighbouring farm with Michelle in 1981. They then left their respective jobs to devote themselves to farming full‑time.
They began by growing asparagus, garlic, French shallots, Brussels sprouts, strawberries and raspberries. They also processed garlic, making jars of minced garlic in oil to keep them busy even on rainy days when they could not harvest.
A few years later, Les Cultures de chez nous stopped growing garlic, French shallots and Brussels sprouts, and started growing leeks.
Several events have shaped the history of Les Cultures de chez nous farm:
- The innovation of transforming downgraded leeks into bags of sliced, washed and ready‑to‑cook leeks.
- By starting to import leeks to ensure a continuous store supply and guarantee year‑round work for employees.
- Numerous advertising campaigns in various magazines.
- Migration to the web to make themselves known by creating a website about Les Cultures de chez nous and its products.
- The creation of Crazy Leeks, a website entirely dedicated to recipes using leeks, asparagus, squashes and farm‑grown berries.
- Daily interaction with the community, with a culinary blog inspiring the kitchen and an increased presence on social media.
The future looks bright for Les Cultures de chez nous with the family succession. Michelle and Louis‑Marie’s three children now work on the farm. Valérie is the general manager, Alexis is the project manager for sustainable crops and farm maintenance, and Antoine is the operations manager for the field crops.
Today, Les Cultures de chez nous is the leading supplier of asparagus and leeks to Quebec grocery stores, with close to 80 employees year‑round, and nearly 1,000 acres of land for growing Quebec leeks, asparagus, squash, strawberries, raspberries and blueberries.
The history of Les Cultures de chez nous through the years
1978: Agriculture start
For Louis‑Marie Jutras and Michelle Rajotte, it is the start of part‑time Quebec asparagus growing.
1981: Beginning Les Cultures de chez nous
Louis‑Marie and Michelle buy 172 acres of land and begin the Les Cultures de chez nous adventure.
1981: Arrival of berries
Berry cultivation begins with pick‑your‑own strawberries, raspberries and blueberries. A summer fruits and vegetables stand is also set up, selling local produce and pastries from nearby businesses.
1985: Winner of the Gerbe d’Or in the Youth category
In collaboration with the Ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation du Québec (MAPAQ), the Bal des moissons awards first prize to Les Cultures de chez nous, which has enabled the company to really grow after only 4 years in activity.
1991, 1996 and 2011: Les Cultures de chez nous know‑how recognized
Dedicated exclusively to agricultural businesses, the Quebec government’s Ordre national du mérite agricole (ONMA) competition recognizes the know‑how and work accomplished by professionals in the agricultural field. Also, it aims to encourage the development of a dynamic and innovative agri‑food industry. In the Gold category, Les Cultures de chez nous won a bronze medal in 1991, a silver medal in 1996, and a regional ranking of 1st and a national ranking of 2nd in 2011.
1999: Launch of a new product
Les Cultures de chez nous innovates by producing packages of sliced, washed and ready‑to‑cook leeks.
2000: A first website for Les Cultures de chez nous
The very first website for the Les Cultures de chez nous vegetable farm goes online!
2001: Start of the importation
To ensure the supply of leeks over the winter, leek imports begin.
2011: A prize for the next generation of women
Valérie Jutras, the eldest daughter of the founders of Les Cultures de chez nous, has been awarded the Mention de la relève féminine by the Ordre national du mérite agricole (ONMA) of the Government of Quebec. This prize is awarded to a daughter whose parents have distinguished themselves by their efforts to encourage her to take an interest in farming and to take over the business.
2012: Recognition of the commitment of Les Cultures de chez nous
Les Cultures de chez nous wins the Prix Jean‑Desjardins, awarded each year by the Fédération des producteurs maraîchers du Québec to a producer or group of producers who have made their mark in production, committed to collective marketing and advanced technology.
2012: An additional award for Les Cultures de chez nous
Les Cultures de chez nous is proud to win the Moisson d’Or award, which is offered only to a producer who is a member of the Association des jardiniers maraîchers du Québec (AJMQ):
- Who has distinguished itself through its involvement in the horticultural world and contributed to the development of the sector.
- Whose marketing achievements are innovative or have demonstrated a sound vision of the short‑ or long‑term development of the agricultural industry.
- Who has built up business integrity over time based on respect for its customers and peers.
- Which has distinguished itself in horticultural production by its ability to adapt to quick changes in the sector.
The Sainte‑Brigitte‑des‑Saults‑based family business, whose achievements in marketing are highly innovative, has been recognized for contributing to the development of the market‑gardening sector. Les Cultures de chez nous managers have always demonstrated a clear vision of the company’s short and long‑term development, and have been able to adapt to the quick changes in the horticultural sector.
2012: First website for Crazy Leeks
The first Crazy Leeks website goes online.
2013: A new award for Les Cultures de chez nous
It is with great pride that Les Cultures de chez nous wins the prestigious Desjardins Entrepreneurs 2013 award in the Agricultural category.
2014: Second place in a major competition
Les Cultures de chez nous was rewarded with second place in the Ma ferme, mon monde competition organized by AGRIcarrières, which rewards agricultural employers who stand out for the originality and quality of their human resources management practices.
2018: Growing new vegetables at the farm
To diversify, Les Cultures de chez nous began growing squashes for the Quebec market.
2018: New website for Crazy Leeks
A new Crazy Leeks website has been launched with even more recipes and blog posts. The Serge the leek mascot is also created.
2019: Start of organic leeks
Start of organic leeks cultivation for the Quebec and U.S. markets.
2024: Two new websites online
Les Cultures de chez nous and Crazy Leeks are getting new websites with even more information about the vegetable farm, tasty recipes, blog posts, an easier way to browse recipes and much more!
Crazy Leeks
Crazy Leeks is a website of over 1,000 various, easy‑to‑cook recipes featuring leeks, asparagus, squashes and berries grown at Les Cultures de chez nous. It is also an exceptional source of culinary inspiration, with hundreds of blog posts on food‑related topics, healthy eating tips and culinary discoveries.
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