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Gardeners inspecting crops

Creating a future where humans live in harmony with nature and each other.

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Our Mission

To educate and empower growers who change the world through the simple act of growing healthy, nourishing food for their communities.

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Our Vision

To multiply the number of regenerative farms around the world and create a future where humans live in harmony with nature and each other.

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Food grown with care, by and for people who care.

Our Values

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Kindheartedness

We hold fast to a compassionate attitude towards all people and the natural world. We believe that our work should stem from kind intentions.

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Belonging

We are rooted in the interconnectedness of all life and aim to foster a sense of community through our actions.

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Efficiency

We feel that the urgency of this moment demands that our actions be organized in the most pragmatic and effective way possible, so we can have maximum impact.

Our Story

The Market Gardener Institute was born out of our desire to inspire and educate as many people as possible, so we can collectively embrace a vision of agriculture that is human-scale, ecological, and profitable.

Our Team

Jean-Martin Fortier

Jean-Martin Fortier

Founder, Teacher, and Mentor

Jean-Martin is the founder, teacher, and mentor of The Market Gardener Institute. A trailblazer in the field of human-scale regenerative agriculture, he has dedicated his life to spreading the inspiring and empowering message of compassionate agriculture. Beyond his work as a farmer and educator, he is an entrepreneur, a husband, a dedicated father to his children Forest and Rose, a loyal friend, a traveller, a surfer, a bon vivant, and a lover of great food and wine.

Raphaëlle Beaulieu-Bastien

Communications Coordinator

As communications coordinator, Raphaëlle manages the Market Gardener Institute’s social media and ensures that our vision and mission are communicated to the community. Raphaëlle has a strong interest in local products and seasonal cuisine: she carries the Institute’s mission in her heart and her plate!

Alex Chabot

Alex Chabot

Videographer & Photographer

Alex has been documenting the work of Jean-Martin and Maude-Hélène since their early days at the Jardins de la Grelinette. While working at various organic vineyards and orchards, he briefly considered becoming a market gardener but life eventually led him towards his passion for photography. Today, he continues to capture the revolution of human-scale, ecological agriculture.

Tania Jiménez

Art Director and Designer

Tania shapes the aesthetics and visual content across The Market Gardener Institute’s platforms and contributes to human-centered processes. Holding an interdisciplinary curriculum, she continuously questions her social role as a designer, working on engaging projects through which she can ignite change in the community. Born to swim in the ocean and climb volcanoes, Tania is an avid traveller and yoga practitioner.

David Maltais

Community Manager

As a community manager, David ensures the vibrancy and inclusiveness of the collaborative space at the Market Gardener Institute. With over 10 years of experience in education, he is driven by a constant desire to innovate. David loves to see projects being built by many, to be part of communities that mobilize and move forward together, but most of all, he loves to see his tomatoes grow.

Fréderic Senez

Director Of Business Development

Frédéric is proudly responsible for collaborating with strategic partners in the market gardening community to implement impactful initiatives. After 15 years in business development in the IT industry, he realizes his dream by investing in a vocation that brings him closer to his love of nature and its biodiversity. He is also passionate about philosophy to better understand natural phenomena.

Catherine Sylvestre

Catherine Sylvestre

Technical Advisor

In addition to creating new educational content, Catherine has the answer to any questions from Masterclass students. She is also the Director of Vegetable Production at Ferme des Quatre-Temps, has a degree in agronomy from McGill University and has conducted extensive research in greenhouse production. Her goal is to support the resilience of small-scale farms.

Michaël Tougas

Technical Advisor

Michaël acts as a go-to contact for the student community and a creator of educational content. His three years of market gardening at Ferme des Quatre-Temps culminated in his position as manager at its second location in Port-au-Persil. His love for food and his desire to have a positive impact on the environment have motivated him to start his own farm.

Interested in joining The Market Gardener Institute team?

We are always interested in meeting capable, competent, and dedicated people who share our values.

Get Inspired!

Download our free e-book Small Farms Feed The World and get inspired by the stories and experiences of market gardeners around the world.