At the beginning , it was mostly Marie and Francis , and two or three others from time to time . Everybody was doing a bit of everything , as a team . We found out that hard work always pays . Marie ’ s background in communication and journalism , as well as her cheerful and upbeat personality , have certainly helped too . But if we had to pinpoint an event that most helped to promote Les Urbainculteurs , I ’ d say it was the publication of an article about our organization in Les Affaires , a magazine that specializes in economics , finances , and business . We also were offered a lot of support and visibility from Justin Keating , owner of Hotel du Vieux- Québec , who was one of our very first customers . From our first year , where we had very few major projects , we have now grown more each summer . From our first activities focusing on gardening , we have diversified what we offer to include consulting , conferences , and workshops , and the sale and distribution of gardening equipment . Our expertise has grown in stature and we even hosted a TV show , Les Urbaincultrices , for two seasons . Now , during the summer , Les Urbainculteurs employ a dozen workers , with four that work year-round . In terms of the ideology behind the company , we are convinced that urban agriculture is a solution for future challenges . The urban environment has such potential , and as it is now where a large proportion of people live , it is also an environment both vulnerable to climate change and lacking in greenery . Urban agriculture adds life , freshness , and beauty , has a tangible impact on the effects of climate change , and brings food production closer to its place of consumption . The promotion of urban agriculture is at the heart of Les Urbainculteurs ' mission , it is our raison d ' être . We mainly promote it by taking action , creating urban vegetable gardens and edible landscapes throughout the city , from terraces to roofs , courtyards , and balconies . We also promote it through education and raising awareness , and by offering the products we find most appropriate and effective for urban agriculture . The response from the community has been substantial . After the initial doubts around the feasibility of our project , the community rallied to the cause . Les Urbainculteurs quickly became serious interlocutors for the Interdisciplinary Federation of Ornamental Horticulture of Quebec . In addition , our first highly publicized project was a roof garden with Lauberivière , which is an important shelter for homeless people in Quebec City . Our proudest moment came in 2013 , when the National Assembly of Quebec approached us about creating a large vegetable garden in front of parliament . This summer is our fifth season utilizing this symbolic space as a way to showcase urban agriculture . The commitment of the National Assembly is truly encouraging and passes on a strong message to the citizens , in addition to consolidating urban agriculture as a fundamental trend , not a passing fad . We also received a call last summer in early July ( which is very late , of course , for agriculture ), asking if we could install a large garden in the inner courtyard of the Grand Théâtre de Québec . We had to install 50 big bag beds — a type of pot 50 inches in diameter and 100 gallons in volume — in an old wading pool where rain tends to accumulate . It was pouring rain on the day of the installation . Finally , despite the late date of planting and the fact that the maintenance of the garden was based on volunteers ( whom we accompanied ), this vegetable garden quickly became magnificent and prolific . The green that it adds to all the concrete is welcome and the crops are redistributed by a charity organization to benefit families in need . How could it be better ? Well , the garden should double in size this year .
“ Urban agriculture adds life , freshness , and beauty , has a tangible impact on the effects of climate change , and brings food production closer to its place of consumption .”
Our team is awesome because it is very diverse . It brings together academics specialized in biology and ecology , as well as people we met through voluntary workers from Lauberivière . Every day — but especially during spring , when we install the gardens — our team faces incredible challenges , sometimes by carrying dozens of bags of soil by hand , up three flights of stairs , or even up a ladder and through a trapdoor . More than anything , our team gathers enthusiasts of plants and food with a joyful and hard-working bon vivant .
Overall , we have learned that we can remain true to our mission while achieving commercial success , and that it is possible to do so by offering something simple and affordable , without having to use sophisticated and expensive gadgets .
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