Better Farming February 2017

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40 Dig Deeper: Better Farming February 2017
UP CLOSE PAUL PATENAUDE
Hands-on ag learning through travel
As long as Paul Patenaude can
remember, farming has been
the only thing he’s wanted to
do. Being a fifth generation dairy
farmer in a tight-knit family opera-
tion, agriculture has always been one
of his passions.
Patenaude, 24, is the youngest of
seven owners – all family members
– running La Ferme Gillette Inc. in
Embrun, in the United Counties of
Prescott-Russell. (Patenaude was
proud to explain that all four of his
grandfather’s sons are co-owners of
the farm, along with Paul, his cousin
and his sister.) The operation
includes three separate facilities, one
of which Paul manages. The family
milks 600 cows in total.
Raised on the farm, Patenaude
enjoys owning a part of the family
business. “If I need them (my
family), they are only a phone call or
short drive away,” he says. “It’s not
always easy (working with family),
but I feel we are pretty good at it.”
Both of Patenaude’s parents
worked on the farm when he was
growing up – and Patenaude became
involved at a young age, too.
“I was homeschooled for seven
years with my two sisters,” Pat-
enaude says. “As long as our daily
bookwork was completed, we were
allowed to go work in the barns. We
also had classes dedicated to farm
management and farm safety.
“Homeschooling gave me flexibil-
ity. I have been fortunate enough to
tag along with my dad on business
trips to Japan, Germany, Holland,
Scotland, and the northeastern
United States to visit dairy farms
and shows.”
After graduating Kemptville
College with a diploma in agricul-
ture, Patenaude also managed to
by JENNIFER JACKSON
Paul Patenaude, an eastern Ontario dairy producer, believes family support
and diverse agricultural experiences were central in shaping his role in his
family’s 600-head operation.
Paul Patenaude