Cercles de Fermières du Québec: the souls behind Quebec's artisanal heritage

In times of a pandemic, where everyone must stay at home and limit their contact with the outside world, where others are no more than shadows, everyone now lives and knows the difficulty of isolation. However, despite this new experience of a general compartmentalization of society, social distancing is not recent and claimed victims much earlier. At the beginning of the last century, women, particularly in the regions, in the agricultural sectors, saw their role condemning them to confine themselves to the borders of the family nest, each of them being at a distance from each other. To break their isolation, two farmers set up the Cercles de Fermières du Québec. One hundred and five years later, when they have become the largest women's association in Quebec, the strength of their mission is still just as resounding, particularly in the current context.

Mission and involvement in Quebec society

The Cercles de Fermières are significant heritage players, each of the women being a guardian of the cultural wealth of our province. From the age of fourteen, young women from all over Quebec can engage in one of the province's six hundred circles, many coming with a hundred-year-old heritage of sharing knowledge, so cultivate the mission of this institution. These groups are active on several levels, whether social, community, environmental, political and economic. Their goals and accomplishments are multiple and Quebec women who decide to join their banner proudly defend their causes, thus having the opportunity to be the transmitters and beneficiaries of a century-old knowledge.

Through their desire to protect Quebec's cultural heritage, but also to improve the living conditions of women and families, the Cercles de Fermières seek to have an impact through the craftsmanship that drives them. From an intergenerational perspective, not only do the members put forward the notion of sharing, but they are also called upon to work with young people to transmit their knowledge and keep alive the sacred fire of Quebec traditions. Women of action, they tie their mission to a great involvement at the social level, wanting to be one of the pillars of the communities in which they are part of, notably providing a variety of handmade products to organizations in need. Beyond the local level, Les Fermières québécoises are also involved at the national level, supporting four organizations, more specifically the Olo Foundation, Mira, the Associated Country Women of the World and Préma-Québec, by volunteering and organizing various fundraisers, thus becoming essential to them.

A role of influencer

In addition, although apolitical, the Cercles de Fermières seek to be an actor of change in order to accomplish their mission and do not hesitate to bring causes that are close to their hearts before government authorities. In this sense, the women members have created a file committee which deals with all the subjects on which they wish to position themselves, particularly in terms of the environment, the economy and safety, always with the aim that the conditions of life of the woman and the family must be improved. In this sense, they notably advocated a redefinition of the concept of family package which they took to the government, more specifically to the Ministry of Tourism, so that the family model of a family with two parents and two children in Quebec tourist packages be called into question as family models become more diverse and realities are more and more multiple and not always stuck on the model of the nuclear family.

An institution in tune with the times

For the past few years, the Cercles de Fermières have experienced a wind of renewal with the enthusiasm for handmade in Quebec and environmental values . The Cercles de Fermières therefore seek to reach all women in Quebec, both in rural and urban areas, since many may feel challenged by the values ​​of mutual aid, sharing and self-sacrifice in a desire to bring women together around traditional manual work.

Whether at the linguistic or cultural level, the Cercles de Fermières also have the mission of preserving Quebec's heritage, wanting to be a breeding ground for the conservation of our French-Canadian heritage. Fearing that no one will take on this responsibility and ensure the influence of our traditions among the younger generations, they have chosen to play this crucial role of maintaining Quebec memories and preventing our immemorial customs from falling into oblivion. . An integral part of the heritage of the province, if not of its identity, the Cercles de Fermières are therefore responsible for the succession of ancestral know-how, making yesterday's wealth today's fortune, feeding a gentle nationalism in the face of globalization.

The virus, its turbulence and the need for awareness

While our elders are confined, with an average age of 68, the Cercles de Fermières du Québec are seeing their activities slowed down, if not completely stopped. Those who want to be a binder within communities and work in the shadows to help their neighbor are today limited in their capacity for action, forced to stay at home. While these women wanted to help the entire population of Quebec, of all genders, in communities of all sizes, it is now up to Quebec society to support these women who have given themselves the mission of keeping the living Quebec identity, setting itself up as a bulwark against those who would like us to forget our roots.

This situation reminds us that in these difficult times, it is crucial to support our seniors and show them our presence, to come to their aid if they need it and to recognize their role and place. they have a right in Quebec society, that is to say guardians of the collective memory. They are the only witnesses of another era, those by whom traditions remain alive and we owe them a lot, because we cannot ignore the past to build the future. A source of immemorial knowledge, our elders deserve respect, dignity and recognition, as they remain key players in building the Quebec of today.

I would like to thank Ms. Caroline Pelletier, Executive Director of the Cercles de fermières du Québec, who granted me an enlightening interview for the production of this article.

Reviewed by Marie-Pascale