Rodrigue Tremblay – 2015 Robertson Associate Award Recipient

Mr. Tremblay has been a seed grower for 34 years. Part of a family of 12 children he is the only one who stayed in the farming business. At first, he was in a partnership with his father Roland on the dairy farm for five years and in 1978, he bought his father shares of the farm and worked hard to expand and move it forward.

In 1981, he launched a pedigreed seed production business and built a grain conditioning center. His farm covers 616 ha of crops, barley and oat being the most important, followed by peas, wheat, canola, and soya. He also grows silage corn and hay.

In his region, he is regarded as a pioneer since he introduced the production of wheat, peas, canola, buckwheat, beans, and soya. To facilitate the introduction of new crops in the region, Ferme Éliro cultivates experimental lots.

In his community, Rodrigue has been a member of the board of the Fédération régionale de l’UPA du Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean, regional president of the Syndicat de gestion agricole, board director of the Producteurs de semences du Quebec and president of the Corporation Moulin des Provinces La Doré, to name only a few.

In 2002, La Ferme Éliro bought the Moulin A. Coutu in the Lanaudière region. Some 20 products are prepared there, like artisan flour (wheat and buckwheat), flour mixes without gluten (flax, peas, hemp, and oat). Several products are distributed in grocery stores and in health-oriented stores.

The mill was built on the banks of the river Bayonne in St. Felix de Valois in 1850. The first owner operated a carding mill. In 1959, Aurien Coutu will be the last owner of this family to operate the installation. It is ultimately the Tremblay family that will allow the mill to reach its full production potential, never compromising quality. Lover of tradition and family, the new owner recruited the son of Aurien Coutu as miller. Rodrigue Tremblay continues to use traditional methods in an enchanting site. Since 2004, Moulin A. Coutu Inc. processes all the gluten-free organic products from the farm Éliro under the label Moulin A. Coutu Inc.

Moulin A. Coutu rapidly carved out a place of choice on the Québec market and even on the Canadian market of cereals for human consumption and for specialized flour. They now sell gluten free and organic flours. The high quality of their products can be attributed to the firm control exercised over each step of production, a value that is close to the heart of the owner of le Moulin A. Coutu. The mission of this mill is to produce, process and sell its own agricultural products as far as possible in the operating system and to do so with the highest quality of services and products.