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Accueil > À propos > Jean-Martin Fortier

Farmer, teacher,
author & entrepreneur

jm fortier - market gardener institute

Every day I strive to build a future where food is grown with care, by and for people who hold these same
values dear.

jean-martin fortier
jm fortier - market gardener institute

For over 20 years, I’ve been cultivating the land, writing and sharing my knowledge to raise awareness of the vital importance of organic farming in our food system.

I founded various entrepreneurial projects such as the Market Gardener Institute, Growers & Co, Heirloom and Espace Old Mill, consolidated under the Market Gardener Group, intending to develop sustainable and resilient food systems.

jean-martin fortier
jean-martin fortier

My farm projects

Each of my farming projects is the result of collaboration with individuals who share my passion for organic farming and innovation to create a more sustainable future.

Les Jardins de la Grelinette -jm fortier
Les Jardins de la Grelinette 

In 2004, my wife Maude-Hélène Desroches and I co-founded our family farm, Les Jardins de la Grelinette, located in Saint-Armand in Eastern Townships, Quebec.


This diversified organic small farm stands out as one of the region’s pioneers. This is where I developed the innovative market gardening techniques that I presented in my book “The Market Gardener”

Les Jardins de la Grelinette -jm fortier

Ferme des Quatre-Temps (FQT Farm) is a training center for apprentice farmers who wish to develop their market gardening techniques in preparation for starting their own farming project one day.

As a mentor, I’ve had the honor of guiding over a hundred apprentice market gardeners. Today, I continue to lend my support as the farm’s godfather. 

The Old Mill Farm, located in Stanbridge East, is dedicated to supplying the farm-to-table restaurant with fresh organic vegetables.

Equipped with a carbon-neutral greenhouse for winter production, our garden grows over forty varieties of crops, allowing us to produce quality vegetables year-round.

old mill - jm fortier

In 2018, I teamed up with Tom Rial and Jean-François Rial to found Une Ferme du Perche located in Basse-Normandie, France.

Based on the FQT Farm model, Une Ferme du Perche offers immersion courses to train even more people in small-scale organic market gardening.

une ferme du perche - jm fortier

Discover my books

With 20 years of experience in small-scale organic farming, I have dedicated my life to sharing my knowledge and passion with others. My books are a mine of information for anyone interested in organic market gardening

my projects

Through all my projects, I hope to achieve one thing: to recognize the importance of the small biointensive farm movement as the future of healthy sustainable agriculture and food sovereignty.

The Market Gardener Institute offers online courses and resources to educate and empower market gardeners in managing a profitable small-scale farm.

Growers & Co. develops functional workwear and tools for people who love growing food, being outdoors and connecting their hands to the earth.

Heirloom is a software designed to optimize the planning and operation of a small-scale diversified farm business.

The Old Mill is a farm-to-table restaurant offering regional Brome-Missisquoi cuisine using local and seasonal ingredients, prioritizing produce from the farm directly behind the restaurant.

my podcast

The Market
Gardener Podcast

The Market Gardener podcast is your gateway to insightful conversations about organic farming, food, small businesses, and thought leadership in the world of sustainable agriculture.

Listen on any of your favorite podcast apps

Upcoming events
& books

Are you organizing an event, workshop or conference and would like me to participate as a speaker? With several hundred conferences under my belt, I offer several enriching speaking options for different audiences.

In the media

Are you a journalist working on an article or documentary? Would you like to arrange an interview or shoot?

Grow Better, Not Bigger: An Interview with Jean-Martin Fortier, Author of ‘The Market Gardener’

Mother Earth News

A model of biointensive farming to transform global agriculture

Want to Get “Back to the Land”? You’re Not Alone

yes magazine

Championing the big impact of microfarming

This Quebecer is planting the seeds of a small-scale organic farming movement

cbc
my tv projectsTune in
Les fermiers
An immersion inside the FQT farm, respecting permaculture and ecosystems. Two seasons whose episodes are rythmed by the seasons and tasks on the farm. Available in French only
Watch the series
my tv projectsTune in
C'est plus qu'un jardin
A documentary series in which two families discover the joys and challenges of self-sufficiency. I join Dany Bouchard, my former apprentice at FQT Farm, in guiding them through their gardening projects. Available in French only
Watch the series
my tv projectsTune in
Récolter l’hiver
A documentary that follows market gardeners who have taken up the challenge of growing vegetables without heating when it's cold and snowing. Available in French only
Watch the documentary
my tv projectsTune in
La table du fermier
Documentary series that follows the Old Mill team in our quest to create a local growing laboratory that supplies the farm-to-table restaurant year-round. Available in French only
Watch the series
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Find out
more about me

From my early studies to the creation of pioneering projects, each step of my journey is a testament to my passion and commitment to the organic agriculture movement and the development of healthier, more resilient food systems.

2000

Environmental studies at McGill University

2003

Discovery of the small ecological farm movement in New Mexico

2004

Founding of the small-farm, Les Jardins de la Grelinette, with my wife Maude-Hélène Desroches

2004-2012

Development of a bio-intensive method that increases soil life and optimizes yields on small surfaces

2012

Publication of my bestseller The Market Gardener: A Successful Grower’s Handbook for Small-Scale Organic Farming. It has sold over 255,000 copies and is now translated into 10 languages!

2015

Development of the experimental farm, Ferme des Quatre-Temps, where 10 new growers are trained each year

2017

Development of the Market Gardener Masterclass to share my know-how in an online course available internationally, and launch of my company The Market Gardener to help growers around the world develop their small farm projects

2020

2021

  • Awarded the Meritorious Service Decorations (Civil Division) by the Government of Canada for my work in organic agriculture and the development of small farms around the world
  • The Market Gardener officially becomes an Institute

2022

Launch of my farm-to-table project: the Old Mill, a tourist site that hosts the gardens where I grow vegetables year-round to supply the restaurant

2023

  • Launch of the Growing for Change bursary program, a remarkable initiative to support young farmers
  • I'm invited to sit on the Expert Advisory Committee of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
  • Launch of the Heirloom software, a platform that enables small diversified farms to efficiently plan their season and manage the complexity of their operations
  • Air Canada's enRoute magazine ranks Espace Old Mill as one of the top 10 new restaurants in Canada

Discover the stories of 10 growers practicing human-scale farming

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