Dairy farmer Alexandre Bernier can’t say enough good things about Jessica Dallaire. He considers the Nutrinor Coopérative agronomist and ruminant agri-advisor part of the family, saying her support was one of the main reasons his farm was so successful in transitioning to robotic milking.

Diligence. That’s what drives the team at Ferme 7 Terres in Saint-Sévère, Mauricie. And as the dairy farm’s co-owner, Philippe Lacerte expects no less from Mathieu Champagne, his ruminant agri-advisor at Novago Coopérative.

“I come to this farm often, and every time, I see somebody cleaning!” Mathieu says with a laugh.

Camille Beauchemin and Dany Courchesne have only been working together at Ferme N.C.L. for a few months, but they were teammates long before that—on a dek hockey team. Now, they’re aiming for a new kind of goal: top herd performance.

Dany took up the farming lifestyle in 2017, after his father, Normand, decided to hang up his skates—or at least slow down. Today, Dany owns 50% of the company’s shares and is in charge of dairy, while his father tends to the fields.

Dairy farmer Mikael Breton and his Sollio & Avantis Agriculture Coopérative agri‑advisor, Caroline Jacques, have a strong trust‑based relationship infused with a healthy dose of humour. Farm performance is no laughing matter, but that doesn’t mean the business partners can’t crack a good joke or two (or three).

“It’s only because Mikael loves it so much,” says Caroline with a smile. Mikael nods in agreement. “Well, it’s also because you’re so... spontaneous and... nice,” he adds, laughing at his own hesitation.