Our history
Our family’s land since 1969
Our story began in 1969, when François’s father, Pierre Lambert, bought a piece of land with a dream: to one day make it his home and raise sheep.
In 1974, Pierre and his family, including four children, moved to the farm full-time. The property covered about 300 acres, with just one tractor for all the farm work and a flock that eventually grew to 500 sheep.
They also tried growing a few crops, including oats, with limited success.
In 1994, Pierre stopped raising sheep.
Then, in 1997, François and his brother Janik bought a neighbouring property to pursue larger-scale farming while continuing to cultivate the family’s land. They learned a great deal, but one thing became clear: growing crops alone does not always make farming profitable.
A sugar shack built for the love of it
In 2009, François built a sugar shack.
It began as a passion project—a way to enjoy the land and make maple syrup, rather than a commercial venture.
In 2015, the sugar shack was destroyed by fire and rebuilt that same year.
François later explored the idea of raising rabbits. A business plan was developed, but the project never moved forward.
The turning point: transforming what we grow
In 2018, François and Marilyn noticed something simple: maple syrup was piling up.
They loved making it, but what was the point of producing so much if it stayed on the shelves?
The idea of an online store began to take shape.
We started with maple syrup. Maple butter followed, made at the sugar shack on Friday nights, sometimes until midnight. Then came maple sugar, lollipops, and cotton candy.
We made everything in the countryside, then brought the products back to Montréal each weekend to pack and ship orders.
2020: the family pitches in
When the pandemic hit, we moved our operations to Notre-Dame-de-la-Paix.
Family members pitched in, our team grew, and online sales quickly gained momentum.
At the time, many Quebec businesses lacked the tools to sell online easily, so we invited them to sell through our platform.
They sent us their products, we stored them, and customers ordered through our website. We handled the shipping.
For a while, FrançoisLambert.One became a small online marketplace for Quebec products.
That experience helped us better understand our customers, learn which products interested them, and explore new categories.
2021: room to grow
In 2021, we built our production facility in Notre-Dame-de-la-Paix.
The 7,500-square-foot space allowed us to bring more production in-house, develop new product lines, and make an increasing share of the products we sell.
It was a defining moment for the company.
A different approach to farming
This is where our mission truly took shape.
We want to show that it is possible to make a living from the land in new ways.
By turning what we grow into finished products right here, we create more value from each harvest.
Our goal is simple: diversify our crops, create more value, and make farming more profitable.
Maple sap becomes syrup, maple butter, sugar, sweets, and many other creations.
Garlic becomes black garlic and a variety of condiments.
We grow and process sunflowers.
Pumpkins become ingredients in everything from food to skin care.
We also work with honey, soybeans, oats, birch, and other resources we can grow, harvest, or source locally.
Creating, testing, and improving
Over the years, several products have marked important milestones.
Our maple popcorn was one of them. It took many trials to find the right recipe and syrup to achieve the flavour we wanted, without any burnt notes.
Our selection continued to grow: chocolates, soaps, face and body care, candles, marshmallows, maple products, black garlic, condiments, and more.
Our 187 mL mini cans of maple syrup are a good example—a convenient, distinctive format that brings a fresh approach to a traditional product.
Our maple panettone tells another part of the story. The recipe took nearly two years to develop. Making panettone could be an entire business in itself; for us, it is another craft we have learned as we build a selection of hundreds of products.
The same approach applies to our waffles. Originally made for us by another producer under our brand, they are now made in-house. We have also developed waffle bites for snacking on the go.
Our potato and maple syrup doughnuts bring together maple syrup and potatoes sourced from Petite-Nation, in the Outaouais region.
Each new product usually begins with the same question:
What else can we make with what our land has to offer?
Today
Today, FrançoisLambert.One offers more than 450 products.
Our 7,500-square-foot production facility in Notre-Dame-de-la-Paix, in the Outaouais region, is home to a team of around 20 people, depending on the season.
Our products are also available at a number of retail locations.
As we grow, the idea that started it all continues to guide us.
We keep growing, creating, testing, and improving because we believe farming can be inventive and profitable—and give us the opportunity to make products right here that we are proud of.