How a small farm can grow big dreams
with JM Fortier
What is market gardening?
Small vegetable and flower farms can operate as stable and thriving businesses through thoughtful planning, high efficiency, and direct sales. It’s not about the size of the farm, but the quality of the system — the ability to work with precision, repeat what works, and build healthy soil year after year. Market gardening is a professional small-farm model that connects economics, ecology, and community.
At its core is intensive production on a small acreage, strong work organization, precise crop planning for sowing and transplanting, and a direct relationship with customers. Today, this approach represents one of the fastest-growing forms of small-scale agriculture in Europe and North America.
Jean-Martin Fortier
Jean-Martin (JM) Fortier is a farmer, an educator, and an eco-entrepreneur. For more than two decades, he has been a leading figure in the organic farming movement. As the author of the groundbreaking book “The Market Gardener,” which has sold over 250,000 copies worldwide, JM has reshaped the small-scale agricultural landscape by inspiring readers to reimagine ecological, human-scale food systems.
Through his involvement with The Market Gardener Institute, he and his team empower the next generation of growers to establish thriving small ecological farms globally.
Recently honored with the Meritorious Service Cross by the Governor General of Canada for his contributions to the advancement of regenerative agriculture, JM’s latest ventures include the establishment of Espace Old Mill, a farm-to-table restaurant recently recognized as one of the top 10 new restaurants in Canada.
He is an ambassador for Growers & Co. and the co-host of The Market Gardener Podcast.
Small vegetable and flower farms, through careful planning, efficiency, and direct sales, can become thriving businesses that form the backbone of local economies, vibrant landscapes, and strong communities.
What matters most is not the size of the farm, but the level of organization, systematization, and discipline — the ability to consistently repeat what truly works, day after day.
Partners
Sponsors
