Our Team

  • Benoit Coulombe

    Co-founder, short circuit sales and distribution Coordinator, general Manager and Producer in organic vegetable and fruit farming

    Benoit is an artist-gardener passionate about the plant world and mycology. Born in Montreal, he spent the vast majority of his life in Montérégie. After more than twenty years working in the agri-food industry and then as a teacher in horticultural production, he adopted agroecological methods and co-founded Ferme Giroflée with Nancy with the aim of creating beauty at the heart of a laboratory for biodiversity. The blueberry farm first, the final idea of ​​this project was also to produce excellent quality food in order to feed local communities and for the pleasure of discovering new varieties. Through research and experimentation, the determination of this self-taught man allowed him to build a reputation as an expert in the production of organic fruits and vegetables.

  • Nancy Blanchette

    Assistant of organic vegetable and fruit production, Co-founder and Direct sales coordinator

    Originally from Montérégie, Nancy has always loved the picturesque village of Hemmingford and its community. In her mid-twenties, she, her son Jeremy and Benoit Coulombe, who was then her husband, settled in the village. Baptiste and Caleb are then born. 10 years later, Nancy discovers that her former professor of agriculture, Giles Collins, is selling her property on Napper Road. The purchase concluded, the small family moved there and made an organic blueberry. Although she and Benoit are no longer in a relationship, they are still good friends and Nancy continues to work at La Giroflée, which maintains the family aspect of the farm and facilitates work-family balance. In addition to monitoring plant production, orders and packaging, she coordinates sales at the farm’s booth, a small nod to her years at the popular Atwater Market.

  • Mariklôde Tardi

    Gardener assistant, Administrative assistant, Social innovation project manager and Communications coordinator

    Multidisciplinary artist and former nurse, the quest for achieving global health led this native of Lotbinière to agroecology in 2007. Back on the university benches in 2014 with the goal of making a career change, she studied communication and literature before embarking on a master’s degree in social innovation management at HEC Montréal. Strongly inhabited by socio-environmental values, it's the concept 'living laboratory' that attracted her to Giroflée. Harmoniously integrated into our team from its arrival in spring 2023, Mariklôde is involved in administration, co-management, gardening, development of projects for the transition in addition to coordinating and creating the graphic content, audiovisual and editorial of our communications.

  • Reymondo Perez Aguilar

    Agricultural labourer in organic gardening

    Reymundo loves poutine, Quebec’s climate, nature, vegetation and flowers. Living in Guadalajara, a city in the Mexican state of Jalisco, he and his girlfriend work in conventional vegetable farming. But since 4 years, he decided to take the plunge and explore the world by becoming a temporary agricultural worker in Quebec where he started for an organic vegetable farm. Arriving at Giroflée in spring 2024, Reymundo is an excellent market gardener and a very good ally on the farm. Kind, meticulous and persevering, his natural leadership makes this young man a loved one. Later, his wish to buy a property to establish his farm project for him and his family in Mexico.

  • Agricultural labourer in organic gardening

    Sergio is the eldest of the Joj Chavez family. He lives with his wife and two children in Santa Lucía Utatlán, a town located in the department of Sololá in Guatemala where he is a carpenter-carpenter and conceptualizes different types of construction projects. Arriving in Canada in 2021 for the very first time, agricultural work abroad presented himself as an opportunity. At Giroflée since 2022, we quickly realized that Sergio is a trustworthy person. His rigor and great vivacity of mind attract everyone’s esteem. He is a creative being who seeks novelty, innovation and flees monotony. His dream would be to be able to create projects that he could organize with others and that would allow everyone to be able to rise.

  • Charles Richards

    Organic gardening worker et Deliver

    Charles was an instant favourite of ours. He was a musician and writer and lived in Montreal for much of his life. Curious and willing, he chose the Giroflée environment for the opportunity of physical outdoor work and for people, a team concerned with the meaning of work, community and impact on ecology. Since his arrival here in the summer of 2023, such a profound change has taken place in him that he decided to settle in our beautiful region. In addition to taking care of crop maintenance, harvesting and packaging, Charles coordinates the inventory of products from the farm and collectives for distribution. Also, he sometimes drives our truck to make deliveries to our employees, customers and partners.

  • Alex Pardo Jiménez

    Market gardener's helper in organic farming

    Alex holds a teaching degree in mathematics and physics from the Universidad del Atlántico Barranquilla in Colombia. Currently in the process of obtaining his permanent resident status in Canada, he worked for several months with children in a CPE in the region and now works full time at La Giroflée. Arriving with us in the summer of 2022, this man with a charming smile acts as a reception agent for foreign workers in addition to helping with production management, packaging and labeling. Positive, versatile, caring and honest, Alex loves teamwork, organization and a job well done. His favorite color is green and he loves music, especially Colombian music.

  • Mél La Louve

    Organic farming market gardener and Pruning specialist

    Always ready to help, this woman with an immense heart loves plants and animals. Arriving at Giroflée in 2019, one of her favorite activities on the farm is undoubtedly picking. Armed with her left-handed pruning shears and her pruning skills, Mél comroasted all the plants in the blueberry grove. Her excellent work and her new passion for pruning and plant science have completely changed the look of the blueberry farm as well as the landscape of the Township of Hemmingford. The plants are beautiful, well balanced, more abundant in fruits than ever and the overall visual is magnificent. We would therefore like to sincerely thank Mél, a rigorous and loyal woman who we see bloom day by day throughout the seasons.

  • Erick Javier Isaac Joj Chavez

    Agricultural labourer in organic gardening

    Erick is the youngest of the Joj Chavez brothers. Coming for the first time to Canada in 2024, the Guatemalan first started agricultural work in a large nursery located in Saint-Michel in Montérégie and then made his entry into the market gardening world at Ferme Giroflée. Carpenter and carpenter in his country, for him, working in Canada is an opportunity to be able to bring money back into his family and community. Having a rather reserved temperament, Erick is kind and hardworking. At the time of planting, he tells us that he wishes of course to be able to marry and have children one day, but in the meantime, he confides to us that he appreciates living in the present moment.

  • Baptiste Coulombe

    Quality Controller and Recipe Developer

    The eldest of the Coulombe family, commonly called Bape or Tiste, was born on Rue Frontière in the village of Hemmingford. Arriving at the house on Napper Road during his childhood, he contributed, like other members of the family, to the establishment of the organic blueberry farm. It was over time that he developed his interests in flora, edible plants and culinary exploration. Ranging from mushroom risotto to sole with butter sauce, it is clear that Baptiste knows how to feed his people well. Finishing his secondary studies this year, his passion for the art of the table pushed him to pursue this path. We wish him the greatest success!

  • Caleb Coulombe

    Coordonnateur des cueilleurs et Goûteur de bleuets

    Caleb est le benjamin de la famille Coulombe. Curieux et patenteux, il aime bien effectuer des tâches qui l'amènent à solutionner des problèmes pour quelconque objet nécessitant une réparation d'ordre mécanique. De nature téméraire, ce grand sportif s'adonne au football, au tennis, aux sports de combat et, l'hiver, au ski alpin. Un de ses plus grands plaisirs dans la vie est de tester les différentes variétés de bleuets. Son préféré est sans aucun doute le Spartan. Caleb adore l'aventure et les voyages. Plus tard, son rêve serait de devenir pilote d'avion et de visiter plusieurs pays, de pouvoir connaitre le monde en entrant en contact avec différentes cultures.

  • Pepper

    Chienne de compagnie

    (Photo de Pepper dans les piments forts)