Make a Six-Figure Salary by Farming, Says Canada's Celebrity Micro Farmer
If you’ve not already heard of Jean-Martin Fortier, allow us to introduce you to a rising star, the Canadian organic farmer whose notion of human-scaled, “six-figure farming” is shaking up the fields.
Photography by Alex Chabot, courtesy of the Market Gardener.
He’s also at the helm of La Ferme des Quatre-Temps, about an hour away—a social-enterprise experiment to train a new generation of farmers and demonstrate how diversified, small-scale farms can be profitable (while producing highest-quality crops and livestock).
Fortier uses a double-wheeled hoe from French company Terrateck (for more, read Fortier’s recommendations on Wheeled Hoes). Fortier believes in maximizing farming efficiency for the long-term—meaning no pesticides and no large farm equipment.
Fortier sorts Irrigation Equipment on the farm.
“We work in gardens, with no tractors, but we still bring to market what we produce.”
Justine, a former employee of La Ferme des Quatre-Temps, has since started her own farm.
Interns harvest radishes. The class is not meant for total beginners, says Fortier.
Carrots are headed to market.
Fortier sells heirloom tomatoes at the market stand.
Fortier, Desroches, and their two children at Les Jardins de la Grelinette.
The Market Gardener’s Toolkit is a 90-minute video documenting one growing season on Fortier’s farm.
If you’re a beginner with an edible garden, start with the book, says Fortier (you can graduate to the course if you need it).