On the picture : Mathieu and Richard Lagacé
Established in 1938 by Mr. Jean-Paul Lagacé, Ferme Lagacé et Fils is currently managed by the fourth generation, with Richard and his son Mathieu Lagacé at the helm of the company.
At the Lagacé farm, business growth plays an important role. Always on the look out for improvements and innovations, they’re not afraid to try new things and take risks to improve the productivity of their farm. Over the past five years, they have made a complete transition to robotic milking for their herd and expanded the farm at the same time.
Today, they have two milking robots. These robots are adapted to the race and can adjust to suit the cow entering the robot, whether it’s a Holstein or an Ayrshire (feed tables and milkings).
The transition to robotic milking has improved productivity, and thus the quality of life of dairy producers. For Mathieu, who has four children, it was essential to have a great quality of life, without overlooking productivity. That’s what milking robots were offering him. As for Richard, his able to further support his local agricultural community since he has more free time with robotic milking.
The Lagacé family always been involved in community work outside the farm. Richard’s grandfather, Jean-Paul, was one of the first organizers of the Saint-Hyacinthe Agricultural Fair. That tradition has continued since Richard is currently on the Board of Directors of the Agricultural Society of Saint-Hyacinthe and participates in various agricultural events of the region. His son Mathieu, equally passionate about agriculture, spends most of his time managing the herd. Furthermore, in the last few years, Ferme Lagacé has been working collaboratively with the Saint-Hyacinthe vocational school (École professionnelle de Saint-Hyacinthe). The students are responsible for sowing the crops and for other projects on the farm. The Lagacé family supervise them while offering their time and equipment. They also organize an open farm day for the students once a year. This partnership promotes agriculture and livestock production.
