Published on January 23, 2024
Quebec apples in the spotlight across various organizations
During the 5th edition of the annual event “Les institutions mangent local!” held last fall at the height of harvest season, Aliments du Québec au menu invited daycares, schools, CEGEPs, universities, hospitals, workplaces, and various organizations to celebrate local foods. Among the hundreds of participating establishments, many adopted exemplary practices to showcase Quebec food products. Through this five-article series, discover especially inspiring stories.
This second article highlights Carrefour communautaire L’Arc-en-ciel, L’Hêtre libre, and Maison Le Tag.
The week Les institutions mangent local! is not limited to members of the Aliments du Québec au menu program, but is open to all institutions wishing to participate. Above all, it is a province-wide unifying event encouraging every type of organization to take small and large actions within their communities to help users discover, cook, and enjoy local products. Among the participants, several organizations stood out for planning particularly original activities, including L’Hêtre libre, Carrefour communautaire L’Arc-en-ciel, and Maison Le Tag.
“Aliments du Québec au menu understands the reality of organizations for whom it isn’t always immediately possible to implement the program and commit to local food year-round. The event Les institutions mangent local! also exists for that reason. Within their means, they too can shine a spotlight on their efforts to promote local products.”
— Mathilde Laroche-Bougie, Manager of the Aliments du Québec au menu program
L’Hêtre libre
L’Hêtre libre is a free learning and recreation center for children aged 5 to 17 located in Shefford, Estrie. This non-profit organization also promotes healthy lifestyle habits among the youth who attend the center.
“It was a mother of one of the children attending our center who suggested we take part in the week Les institutions mangent local!. Since promoting local products is already part of our philosophy, we were immediately excited about the idea. This first participation marks the beginning of an annual presence at the event.”
— Emmanuelle Gaucher, Coordinator and Facilitator at L’Hêtre libre
The main activity organized during the event came naturally when a parent brought a large bag of apples to share. This donation sparked a discussion about this local fruit, how it is consumed in different families, possible recipes, and more.
When it came time to decide how to use the apples, the children were torn between making a crisp or a pie. “By discussing together to find a solution, they chose a creative approach: inventing their own recipe, the Pommécroust—a base of apple pie topped with a crisp mixture. The result? ‘Oh! Mmm! It tastes like heaven!’ as the children expressed,” added Ms. Gaucher joyfully.
This clever creation was made as a team effort. The children prepared the pie crust, the adults peeled the apples, the children sliced them, and there was even a small educational component about why apples brown and how to prevent it. Quebec remained in the spotlight until the very end, when the creation was sweetened with delicious maple syrup.
A simple act of generosity turned into a delicious homemade recipe and sparked lively, informative discussions about local apples. The activity was a success for both the youth and the center’s facilitators.
Carrefour communautaire L’Arc-en-ciel
Carrefour communautaire L’Arc-en-ciel is a non-profit organization based in Saint-Ours, Montérégie. It offers several low-cost services, including a meals-on-wheels program and medical transportation for seniors aged 60 and over. To combat isolation, the center organizes activities throughout the year: friendship outings for people aged 50+, mornings for children aged 0–5 and their parents, and a youth center for ages 12–17.
During Les institutions mangent local! week, the Carrefour distributed nearly 400 apples to two schools and a seniors’ residence. An apple pastry was also prepared to add a sweet touch to meals delivered through the meals-on-wheels program. In one of the visited schools, the Carrefour organized a tasting activity featuring blackberry jam, apple jelly, and marmalade, along with a pumpkin-decorating workshop.
“The warm welcome and gratitude from everyone who benefited from our actions, as well as the thanks shared about us on social media, highlight the value of our efforts and reinforce the importance of our mission. Seeing young people not only love the activity but also choose to attend the youth center afterward shows the real impact we have on their lives.”
— Alexandra Villiard, Administrative Assistant at Carrefour communautaire L’Arc-en-ciel
“Despite a limited budget and challenges encountered with certain partners, my colleague and I are proud to have carried out all the planned activities to promote local products. It was a successful week, and we hope to organize similar activities again at next year’s event,” adds Ms. Villiard.
Maison Le Tag
Established in 1999 in Centre-du-Québec, Maison Le Tag is a youth organization whose mission is to involve young people from Gentilly and surrounding areas in improving their living conditions and those of their community. Pre-teens, teenagers, and young adults voluntarily participate in educational, preventive, and recreational activities.
To celebrate local foods, Maison Le Tag organized a trip with youth to pick apples and visit beehives at a regional orchard. In addition to learning about apple cultivation and honey production, they returned to the youth center with local ingredients to cook and share a meal together.
“The young people were very proud to invent a recipe from scratch with the ingredients they purchased. Although initially skeptical about honey-glazed chicken with apples and mashed potatoes with apples, they were pleasantly surprised to discover how delicious the combination was.”
— Nathalie Poisson, Development Officer at Maison Le Tag
After preparing a large quantity of food, the youth donated leftovers to a community fridge operated by a local support organization.
This marked Maison Le Tag’s third participation in the event, and given the youth’s enthusiasm each year, they fully intend to participate again. “We try every year to create an increasingly elaborate experience. At the next edition, we plan to introduce the youth to another local producer,” Ms. Poisson concluded enthusiastically.
The commitment of organizations such as Carrefour communautaire L’Arc-en-ciel, L’Hêtre libre, and Maison Le Tag to local producers greatly contributes to the economic and social vitality of Quebec’s regions. By continuing to encourage local consumption, they play a crucial role in building communities aware of the importance of Quebec products in our daily lives. Whether recognized by the Aliments du Québec au menu program or not, organizations are always welcome to celebrate local products during the annual Les institutions mangent local! event.
Discover more inspiring stories from the event Les institutions mangent local! >> Click here!
Les institutions mangent local! is an initiative of the Aliments du Québec au menu program (developed by Aliments du Québec and Équiterre, with the support of the Quebec Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food) in collaboration with the Défi je mange local.
