For over 35 years, Denis Champagne not only managed and developed Ferme Denis Champagne & Fils, located in St-Thomas de Joliette, in the Laurentides-Lanaudière region, but also represented it at meetings with Cooperative members. His son Daniel often accompanied him to these meetings. 

Having grown up embracing the values of cooperation, Daniel began serving as a young facilitator about 10 years ago, which was about the same time he took over from his father as farm representative with Agropur.

A harmonious synergy 

Daniel perpetuates the values and traditions handed down by Denis, while bringing his own vision and dynamism. Alongside his brother François and son Mathieu, they form a close-knit team committed to maintaining the quality of their milk production. In 2019, they were finalists for Agropur's prestigious Club de l'Excellence milk quality award, a testament to their ongoing efforts to achieve excellence. 

For Mathieu, who is preparing to succeed his father, the important thing remains to work in a pleasant environment and to always strive to surpass oneself. “We have fun working together, and everyone's strengths complement each other perfectly. My father is mainly responsible for working and managing the fields, as well as milking. My uncle François concentrates on herd management, animal health and feeding. I'm a jack of all trades, which allows me to learn and contribute to different aspects of the farm. My grandfather Denis remains involved in the bookkeeping and helps me take on this responsibility.”

The Young Cooperative Leaders Program

Determined to follow in his father's footsteps, Mathieu completed Agropur's Young Cooperative Leaders Program a year ago. When he thinks back on his experience with this program, Mathieu feels grateful for the opportunities it offered him. “It gave me an in-depth understanding of how our cooperative works and the mechanisms that govern it. I was able to forge links with other passionate young people, ready to invest in the long-term future of our industry. I also had the opportunity to visit the head office, meet members of the Board of Directors and tour a cooperative operating in a sector other than our own.”

Optimistic about the future 

With a bachelor's degree in agronomy from Université Laval and currently working part-time as a dairy cow nutrition specialist, Mathieu has acquired invaluable expertise that he puts to good use on the family farm. He has a positive outlook on the transfer of the business and is enthusiastic about the prospect of soon taking over the reins. “Transferring the farm is an important step, but I'm confident in our ability to make a successful transition and continue to prosper.”