Montérégie, November 6th, 2024 – The North American Pollinator Protection Campaign (NAPPC), presents the 2024 Farmer and Rancher Award – Canada to Paul Caplette, co-owner of Céréales Bellevue Inc. and ALUS Montérégie program participant and advocate since 2018.
The Farm and Rancher Award recognizes farmers and ranchers who make a significant contribution to the protection and conservation of pollinators and provide outreach efforts to raise awareness about the importance of pollinators within the agricultural community.
ALUS President and CEO Bryan Gilvesy and his wife Cathy Gilvesy, co-owners of Y U Ranch in southern Ontario, received the 2013 Canadian Agricultural Producer Award. ALUS is proud to see another ALUS participant win this award a decade later.
Paul and Pierre Caplette impressed the judges with their in-depth knowledge of the surrounding landscape and their passion for their land and the ecosystems and wildlife found there.
“We’re really proud and excited to win this prestigious recognition of our work,” says Paul Caplette. “I share it with my brother Pierre, my mother Pierrette, and all the people who have worked with us on the family farm to gradually develop over the years more than eight acres dedicated to dynamic biodiversity.”
Céréales Bellevue is a 360-hectare field crop operation located in Saint-Robert, Montérégie, Quebec. It is also a multi-generational farm; Paul and his brother Pierre grew up on the farm and are now co-owners.
Since 2006, the farm has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 33% and pesticide use by over 30%, all while increasing field yields. And there’s more to come, as Céréales Bellevue Inc. aims to become carbon neutral within the next 10 years.
“Agriculture is one of the keys to meeting the climate and biological challenges of the future,” says Paul. “We’ve reduced our GHG emissions while improving the presence of pollinating insects around our fields.”
Since 2017, Paul and Pierre Caplette have added 25 acres of ALUS project sites producing ecosystem services with nest boxes for tree swallows and eastern bluebirds, as well as dormitories for bats. Their goal is to install 200 nesting boxes.
The brothers have planted 1,200 trees and 5,000 fruit bushes to provide habitat and food for native wildlife and pollinators. In addition, 90% of their soil is protected by cover crops throughout the winter to feed and protect soil micro-organisms.
Through the ALUS program, Paul has also added numerous multifunctional extended riparian buffer strips. “By widening their riparian buffer strips to more than 10 meters, whereas Quebec regulations require only three meters, Paul Caplette has created buffer zones and additional pollinator plantings between rows and along the waterways, and by the same token, have created refuge zones for biodiversity,” states the NAPPC website.
Céréales Bellevue Inc. incorporates a balanced rotation of eight different crops, optimizing resources and ensuring a high level of soil biodiversity. Cover crops combined with direct seeding enable them to reduce fertilizer use and improve soil organic matter levels.
“It does not feel that we’ve put as much effort into it as it seems, because it’s a been a gradual evolution that has led us to see the results that we have today,” says Paul. “We’re proud of the work we’ve done, and we’ll certainly continue to innovate on our farm while sharing our results with farmers.”
Paul Caplette is a recipient of the Dave Reid 2022 Award. He is also an active leader in his community and a noted advocate for agriculture and the environment in the media. Paul writes a column for agricultural magazine Le Bulletin des agriculteurs and is a regular guest on Radio-Canada’s Feu vert radio show.
Paul is thankful to ALUS, MAPAQ, and the UPA Montérégie coordination team for working with him in choosing and planning his landscaping projects and providing support in the field.
“UPA Montérégie is extremely proud to count on agri-environmental leaders like Paul and Pierre Caplette. Their commitment to the protection and conservation of pollinators is a source of inspiration for the entire farming community,” says Julien Pagé, First Vice-President of the Fédération de l’UPA de la Montérégie. “These local initiatives influence the entire farming community, today and in the future. It makes sustainable agriculture the best ally for biodiversity.”
Flower strips for pollinators on Paul Caplette’s farm in Saint-Robert, Montérégie.
About the North American Pollinator Campaign (NAPPC)
NAPPC is a collaborative organization of more than 170 diverse partners, including scientists, researchers, environmental advocates, government officials and dedicated volunteers. NAPPC implements important programs to protect pollinators, raise pollinator issues and promote the health of all species, especially those most at risk.
Each year, NAPPC, in partnership with several other organizations, solicits nominations for eight prestigious awards, including the Agricultural Producer Award, which is presented to farmers in Canada, the United States and Mexico.
About ALUS
ALUS is a charitable organization that envisions a future where all farmers and ranchers produce ecosystem services from nature-based solutions alongside food and fibre to help solve the crises of biodiversity loss and climate change. Through its turn-key farmer-led, community-delivered program, ALUS supports more than 430 community leaders across 39 ALUS communities in helping over 1,700 farmers and ranchers build and actively manage 52,000+ acres of nature-based projects. These projects, like wetlands, grasslands and tree and shrub plantings, help capture carbon, keep lakes, rivers and streams clean, provide food and shelter for wildlife, and better prepare communities for extreme weather events like flood and drought.
ALUS helps governments, businesses and philanthropic foundations invest in Nature & Climate Solutions on agricultural land to generate positive environmental, economic and social outcomes in the communities where they operate—one acre at a time.
Source and information
Nadine Mercure
Senior Director, Communications / Head of Development, Québec
