6 must-see spots for local arts and eats at Mauricie’s 4th Tournée Arts et Terroir

Maple and mushrooms from the forest in Maskinongé

At La ferme du loup in Saint-Paulin, maple provides a wide range of succulent treats. The owners offer maple wines from sparkling to sweet, as well as forest syrups harvested from the undergrowth, and will happily tell visitors where their wild plants came from. Take a forest walk with an audio guide that explains how maple becomes bottled Acer, before a stop on the patio to pair it with a bite to eat.

A little further, in Saint-Justin, Monsieur Champignons cultivates six to nine varieties of oyster mushrooms indoors, as well as shiitake and maitake mushrooms. Production begun during a dry spell in 2017. Visitors can tour the facilities and taste products made on site.

Des Chenaux, where alpaca wool meets blades of steel

In Saint-Stanislas-de-Champlain, the Ferme récréative Caza et Alpagas recreational farm opens its enclosures to all those who want to understand how alpaca fibre is turned into knitting yarns, knitwear or warm socks for winter. This family business is based on artisanal transformation, from shearing to final product, carried out on the farm from start to finish.

In Notre-Dame-du-Mont-Carmel, LaManchure Artisan Coutelier has been making kitchen knives renowned throughout the region for ten years. See how a new blade is created and learn how to properly sharpen your own knife.

These two stops are located within kilometres of each other, offering a great starting point to plan a tour of Des Chenaux.

In Mékinac, plants heal and art tells stories

In Sainte-Thècle, Belle à Croquer transforms the plants on its grounds into body care products and edible flowers, an undertaking designed with sensitive skin and gourmet eating in mind. The business centres on local vegetable production, harvested and transformed all in one place.

In Saint-Tite, the Zélia art gallery brings together painters and artisanal woodworkers from Mauricie and other areas in a setting reminiscent of the 70s. It pays homage to Zélia Lavoie, an ancestor of the current owner. The site also houses a gift shop, where you can find an original piece to take home with you.

All together, some 100 tradespeople will open their doors for the Tournée Arts et Terroir artisanal tour, from producers to artisans to artists–with no counters or windows between them and the public. A paper map is offered in tourist information offices in the area. Each stop also offers the chance to win one of three $200 gift cards offered by participants.