Lalonde's brown dairy cows graze on flowering grasses. Inside the cheese factory, two workers dressed in white uniforms, hair nets and tall rubber boots stir a cauldron of milk with wire paddles, called harps, until the grains reach the size of corn kernels. As the men pour the liquid into molds covered with cheesecloth, they sing along to French-Canadian tunes. In 60 days, the white cheese rounds mature into soft, aromatic Pied de Vent cheese. Smoke curling out of smokehouse windows was a familiar sight on the Magdalens 20 years ago, but overfishing caused the demise of this island industry.
Exhibits describe herring fishing and the smoking process.
Holding their breath, adventurous visitors step inside the hazy smokehouse long enough to discern rods of herring hanging from rafters and the red glow of wood-chip fires. Within seconds, the oily smoke permeates your clothes. The company currently sells packaged fillets, roe and whole herring to the local market. His signature creations are glass orbs in which colorful jellyfish seemingly swim. Near the furnace, an apprentice forms one using five layers of vibrant hues.