(January 20 ,2026 – St-Hyacinthe) On January 13th, at the Congress Centre of St-Hyacinthe, Quebec’s Outstanding Young Farmers announced Lori-Anne Berthiaume and Steeve Nadeau as their regional winners with over 430 people in attendance. They will proudly represent Quebec at the National Event in Vancouver BC in November 2026.
Nothing predestined Lori-Anne for a career in agriculture. She envisioned herself as an entrepreneur in the restaurant industry. Approached by her father and brother, she agreed to join them and discovered a demanding yet stimulating world. A graduate in business administration, and later holding an MBA, Lori-Anne quickly found her niche: the perfect balance between management and production.
When she purchased Ferme Porc SB Inc. in 2018, the situation was challenging. In just a few years, production increased from 42,000 to 51,000 piglets per year, with productivity steadily rising.
Lori-Anne leads a team of 20 to 30 employees, half of whom come from South America. She fosters a climate of respect, mutual support, and enjoyment at work, even supporting her team’s sports and social initiatives. There have been many challenges and each time, Lori-Anne has demonstrated remarkable strength. Thanks to rigorous planning and the cohesion of her team, she transforms crises into opportunities for growth.
Guided by the advice of her father, Cécilien, her mentor, she became the sole owner of the farm after gradually repaying her family. Lori-Anne looks to the future with confidence. She wants to raise all the piglets born on the farm, continue to improve every technical detail, and maintain a balance between her professional and family life.
The Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers competition of the Quebec region had the pleasure to present three diverse and impressive operations during the 2026 regional competition. The recognized candidates were:
- Alexandre Laroche et Maxime Laroche Saint-Camille, QC-Ferme La Seigneurie
- Maggie Lamothe Boudreau et Rémy Daigle Saint-Adrien-d’Irlande, QC-Ferme Rayons de Miel
- Lori-Anne Berthiaume et Steeve Nadeau, St-Elzéar, QC- Ferme Pork SB
Amy Cronin, President of the COYF National Board, attended and made this comment on the event: “Quebec’s Outstanding Young Farmer event was a great success with three very talented and successful finalists highlighted, all of whom represented both their farms and agriculture very well. 430 alumni, sponsors, industry, family and friends gathered to celebrate excellence in agriculture. Lori-Anne Berthiaume and Steeve Nadeau, farrow to finish hog producers from St-Elzéar, QC were named Quebec’s Outstanding Young Farmers 2026 and will move on from their region to nationals being held in Vancouver, BC in November. Congratulations Lori-Anne and Steve!”
Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers competition is an annual competition aimed at rewarding the farmers who demonstrate excellence in their profession and promoting agriculture’s huge contribution. Open to participants under 40 years of age , whose major source of income comes from agricultural sources, participants are selected from seven regions in Canada, and two national winners are chosen each year. The program is sponsored nationally by Agriculture & Agrifood Canada, CIBC, John Deere, Bayer, Sollio Agriculture, Meridian Manufacturing, and CN with medias sponsors Glacier FarmMedia, and Nucleus Consulting and video sponsor Bamboo Shoots. It is supported nationally by BDO.
Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers of 2026 will be chosen during the national competition that will be held in Vancouver BC , from November 26th to 29th 2026.
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For information or a picture of Lori-Anne Berthiaume and Steeve Nadeau, contact:
Francine Martin
Pro-Expo Group
Phone : (418) 877-1919 ext. 4
Carla Kaeding, competition director
Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers
306-896-7833 – [email protected] – www.oyfcanada.com