Association for the Development of the Canadienne Cattle Breed in Charlevoix

Our mission is to collectively establish, manage and develop a cattle population of traditional-type Canadienne cows with healthy, sustainable ancestry so as to set up a distinct dairy network closely identified with Charlevoix’s terroir.

Our organization is coordinating the development of this project which derives from partnerships between the dairy producers and Laiterie Charlevoix, and their resulting bona fide dairy network.

Our website introduces the concept of this project which draws together Charlevoix’s terroir, the Canadienne cattle breed, the breeders and lastly the cheesemaker involved in the production of milk specifically destined to the preparation Le 1608 cheese.

From the XVIIth century French regime until the 1950s, agriculture in Charlevoix was chiefly one of subsistence, but it was gradually modernized over time. Prevailing natural conditions however, paired with the region’s geographic location rendered agriculture rather marginal as compared with the rest of the province.

The producers constitute an important link in the network as a whole. In general, businesses earmarked for integration into the system are family-run farms where the number of lactating cows is inferior to 50. The objective is to enable small farms to be profitable and remain afloat amidst a growing trend towards increasingly large operations.

The cheesemaker is the link that enhances the terroir, the Canadienne breed and the labours of local producers. At the food processing stage, the network comes full circle, ensuring financial spin-offs for each of its members. This is a genuine partnership! Moreover, Laiterie Charlevoix reimburses a portion of the plus-value to its producers, and also pays a fee to the Association.