Julie Amyot: When passion goes hand in hand with expertise

If poultry production is a farmer’s lifeblood, Julie Amyot is that farmer's wings, taking the farmer to ever higher levels of production. She may well be proud of belonging to the largest poultry network in Canada, but it is the trust she has established with farmers in her region that drives her day after day. Meet the woman who was named poultry agri-advisor of the year for 2021.

“I have always worked in poultry,” says Julie Amyot. Her journey started at 16, as a student in the production unit at Olymel in Saint-Damase. Then, during her studies in livestock production at the Institut de technologie agroalimentaire du Québec, she worked for Groupe Gaucher. She adds, “When I completed my studies, I was hired to work on quality assurance at Unidindon.” She then joined the farm group in Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, in summer 2015.

The three things that motivate her the most in her work with poultry farmers are:

• Helping farmers achieve their goals. “There is such a sense of validation when you make a difference!” she says.

• Building a relationship of trust with clients is something that really motivates her. “Day in day out, I get to be with passionate farmers and to share our expertise.”

• She also loves the challenges that farmers send her way. “They have a knack for getting me out of my comfort zone, and it’s so rewarding! It provides the opportunity to better understand my strengths and weaknesses and to develop my personal skills.”

   

Julie says that an effective poultry farm requires good synergy between the feed, the quality of the birds and the breeding environment.

And she believes that this is why chicken and layer farmers choose to do business with Sollio Agriculture. “We have feed production plants across the country, we have one of the largest hatcheries in Canada, and we have built solid partnerships. This means we can offer different services depending on any given farm’s needs.”

Sollio Agriculture’s strength lies in being close to the farmers. The distribution of feed and chicks goes through local cooperatives. “This means that we listen to our farmers and react promptly when they run into problems in the field,” says Julie.

Learn more about our agri-advisors of the year.