The sunflower, a plant associated with Vincent Van Gogh and the Mediterranean climate, originates from North America, and grows admirably on the light, stony and well-drained soil of the Arôme des Champs farm, in Bromont, on American soil!
In the hands of the quartet formed by Joany Brodeur and Martin Vallée, assisted by Joany’s mother and father-in-law, Johanne Brodeur and Pierre Verly, the inflorescences of this plant, just under two metres high, harvested in mid-September, reveal all the bromontois terroir of Pierre-Laporte Road, on the outskirts of Highway 10 – an undeniable competitive advantage when selling at the farm.
Photo: Pierre Dunnigan
Active for 25 years in the organic production of corn, soybeans and grains delivered by the ton in semi-trailer trucks, Pierre and Johanne wanted to get closer to consumers, reveals Joany, who aspired to return to her hometown after earning five certificates in three universities and starting her career in the Outaouais region supporting business mentoring and entrepreneurship. Today, it is her project that she cherishes, not without the help of Martin, a computer scientist by profession, born in the Montérégie plain to a father who was an agricultural mechanic. You can take the guy out of the tractor, but not the tractor out of the guy!
The same goes for the daughter: Joany produced organic vegetable baskets for two years before moving away from the farm, only to return five years and two babies later! The opportunity was too good: the oil mill division of the Cedar Mill of the Dewavrin family, a pioneer in sunflower cultivation in Quebec, was ripe for a change of hands. The Brodeur-Vallée-Verly family grew and processed sunflowers for the first time in 2019, a successful experiment despite the challenges of organic production: having one third of the crop plundered by birds, controlling weeds by mechanical weeding and managing sclerotinia, a fungal disease that is avoided by not growing sunflowers in the same field more than once every five years.
OK, agronomist, what about the oil, please? The grains, which contain an impressive 35% fat content, are crushed year-round for greater freshness. Cold pressed at less than 40°C, the oil is then naturally decanted for two weeks before being stored and bottled to preserve its richness in vitamin E and omega-9 fatty acid, a monounsaturated fat that is good for the arteries. Its delicate yellow color, light sunflower taste and lipid composition make it the queen of cooking, salad dressings, marinades and even breads and pastries, says Joany.
Although the farm store is not open to the public during the pandemic, a visit to their ONLINE SHOP isa must. The company, a member of the Coop Agrobio du Québec, also distributes grains, flours, flakes and peas from sustainable agriculture. Stop by in the first half of August for the most plant-like of self-portraits during the spectacular blooming of the large yellow corollas.
HTTPS://WWW.LAROMEDESCHAMPS.COM/
1699 Darcy Road, Bromont, Quebec
Also to be seen: Orford Plantation.