Getting involved in sustainable farms for the animal welfare.

Vincent Paquet eagerly embraced the adventure when Agropur launched its Sustainable Farms pilot project in the spring of 2022. The Amqui dairy producer felt the opportunity to share his personal thoughts on animal welfare was simply too great to pass up. Besides, he wanted to hear what other producers had to say about how they could improve their own on-farm operations.

This is what led the Paquetière Farm producer to meet virtually with his peers every three months to talk, not only about animal welfare but also about the Cooperative and the dairy industry in general. “I wanted to do it because there are always opportunities to learn from other people. I’m not perfect, and quite often after a meeting, I take some time to reflect on and think about what I was able to learn from the meeting,” says Mr. Paquet, who works full time as a dairy producer after taking over his parents’ farm in 1990, with his wife Claudia Ayotte.

He participated in the pilot project not with the idea of adding more to his workload, but rather to lend a personal contribution on a subject dear to his heart: genetics. He explained that “dairy producers are geared towards performance and profitability. Cows have to be productive and durable over the course of their lifetime. A lot of progress has been made in these areas, with more to do. I really wanted to talk about this in the context of animal welfare and sustainable farms.”

Mr. Paquet would like to further pursue the conversation on a wide range of topics, including calf management, barn type/ layout and, of course, genetics. “We need to be mindful in selecting bulls and the health of the cows,” says Mr. Paquet, who is only too happy to expand on his thoughts and enjoys hearing other opinions on the subject, even if they differ from his.

In 2022, Agropur launched our Sustainable Farms Pilot Project, which aims to create a two-way collaborative process between the Cooperative and our members. Sustainable Farms is a way to improve exchanges with members regarding animal welfare and their environmental improvements and performance. We want to implement a program that we can use to demonstrate their actions to our business partners and customers.

As the third generation of Paquets to run the farm operation, Mr. Paquet says now is the time to reflect on the development and growth of his business. “The meetings allowed me to find out about exciting new approaches on erecting buildings, handling cattle and how they interact. Every producer has different ways of doing this, and they merit consideration,” he remarks. “Other pilot project participants involved have different herd sizes, farm types, and or breeds of cows. You can learn a lot, and the conversations are always positive.’’

At 53, Vincent Paquet isn’t quite ready to retire just yet. But the Amqui producer is ready to start the gradual transfer and management of the farm to the fourth generation of Paquets – his son Alexis.

Mr. Paquet noted that “everything he has learned in the industry, and in Sustainable Farms, I’m going to be transferring that to my son. My grandparents started the farm in 1942 and they enthusiastically passed on their knowledge to my parents, and so on. I want to do the same thing with my son.”

He keeps a watchful eye on the next generation and the business environment that awaits him and his family.

“I sense the enthusiasm of the next generation of farmers. I know that from a regulatory and environmental standpoint, there are more and more demands and financial measures. I went through many stages in my 33 years running a farm. I want to continue to help.”