Canneberges Bieler in Quebec: History, What It Grows, How It Makes Money and Where to Learn More
Profile updated November 2026
Canneberges Bieler is described by McGill University as the largest cranberry producer in Quebec and in Canada. Founded by Marc Bieler in Saint-Louis-de-Blandford in the 1980s, it farms about 600 hectares (1,500 acres), harvests more than 20,000 tonnes a year and sells its crop to the Ocean Spray cooperative.
| Location | Saint-Louis-de-Blandford, Centre-du-Quebec (north of Victoriaville), with farms also in Lac-Saint-Jean |
|---|---|
| Founded | Early 1980s by Marc Bieler (sources cite 1983 and 1984) |
| Sectors | cranberries |
| Scale | About 600 hectares (1,500 acres); more than 20,000 tonnes a year; 40 permanent staff and about 30 seasonal workers (McGill) |
| Why it is notable | Largest cranberry producer in Quebec and Canada; sells to Ocean Spray; first president of the Quebec cranberry growers association in 1994 |
| Ownership | Bieler family |
| Official website | McGill University profile of the Bieler cranberry business (no official site found) |
History of Canneberges Bieler
Marc Bieler grew up in Saint-Louis-de-Blandford. According to an Origine profile, he bought an orchard in Frelighsburg in 1969 and made apple juice, then turned to cranberries after hail, freezes and thaws made fruit growing risky. McGill reports that he began growing cranberries in 1984; Origine gives 1983 and Country Guide says the early 1980s. Whatever the exact year, the starting point was land considered unfit for most farming, bought cheaply from the Quebec government.
From that first site the farm expanded to several farms in Centre-du-Quebec and Lac-Saint-Jean. Country Guide adds that the family built a processing arm, Atoka, in 1988 and sold it to Ocean Spray in 2018, keeping the farming operation and becoming farmer-owners of the cooperative. Bieler was the first president of the Quebec cranberry growers association in 1994, and in 2020 he and his wife pledged $15 million over 20 years to McGill's School of Environment, now named after the family.
What Canneberges Bieler Grows and Raises
The farm grows cranberries on laser-levelled, drained and irrigated beds. Origine describes automated irrigation and frost protection with sensor-triggered sprinklers, computerized data and research into more targeted crop protection products. McGill says the company works with researchers at McGill, Laval and Cornell and that its yields compare well with British Columbia and most U.S. growing areas.
Quebec's cranberry sector has grown quickly. An October 2025 study for the Association des producteurs de canneberges du Quebec reports 5,122 hectares in production in 2024, about 90,000 tonnes harvested in 2023 (roughly 61 percent of Canadian production) and 1,367 direct jobs. McGill notes that Centre-du-Quebec holds about three-quarters of the province's cranberry farms and roughly 85 percent of its production.
How Canneberges Bieler Makes Money
Fruit sold to a cooperative
The farm sells its berries to the Ocean Spray cooperative, which processes and markets them. McGill puts annual sales at about $25 million, a figure given by the university, not by the company.
Owner equity in the buyer
Country Guide reports that after the processing arm was sold, the Bielers became farmer-owners of Ocean Spray. That ties the farm's income to the cooperative's marketing as well as to its own yields.
Earlier processing business
For three decades the family also processed and branded cranberry products through Atoka. After the sale, the farming operation was retained.
Farm Insight: What Other Operators Can Learn from Canneberges Bieler
Turn weak ground into an advantage. Peat land that others rated poorly for farming became the foundation of a crop that needs flat, wet, acidic beds. Look for crops that match the marginal land you already own or can buy.
Know when to sell a link in the chain. Building a processor opened the market, and selling it to the cooperative that buys the crop let the family concentrate on growing. Pair that with research partnerships and water control so yields stay ahead of regional competitors.
Anyone who has watched cranberry beds flooded red knows the berries float, and so does the farm satire team at farm.FM, which has spent more time admiring the harvest photos than we would like to admit. The farm humor here is easy because the crop literally rises to the surface of the field, which is more than most spring wheat does. We keep the ranch humor to a minimum on a bog, but our farm jokes about being in over our boots are a Thanksgiving tradition.
The outlet behind those laughs, farm.FM, is the nation's first satirical farm site, complete with Tractor Tunes country music for farmers. A farm.FM humorist's archive shows what a week of it looks like.
How to Contact Canneberges Bieler
Website: https://www.mcgill.ca/channels/article/small-berries-big-achievements
No official website, address, phone or email was found in the search results, so none is listed. Facts come from McGill, Origine and Country Guide coverage; the farm is not a retail destination.
Canneberges Bieler Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- McGill: Small berries, big achievements - University profile with acreage, tonnage and staff
- Origine portrait of Marc Bieler - Profile of the founder and the farm's history
- Country Guide: Growing that bright red berry - Farm media coverage of Bieler, Atoka and Ocean Spray
- Quebec cranberry growers economic study - 2025 study for the Association des producteurs de canneberges du Quebec
- Quebec agricultural productions - Provincial agriculture ministry index of farm sectors
Canneberges Bieler FAQ
How big is Canneberges Bieler?
McGill reports about 600 hectares (1,500 acres), more than 20,000 tonnes harvested a year, 40 permanent employees and about 30 seasonal workers.
Who buys the berries?
The crop goes to the Ocean Spray cooperative, and the Bielers became farmer-owners of the co-op when they sold their processing arm.
When did Marc Bieler start growing cranberries?
Sources differ: Origine says 1983, McGill says 1984 and Country Guide says the early 1980s.
How can I contact the farm?
No official site or contact details were found. The McGill and Origine profiles are the best public starting points.
Canneberges Bieler turned cheap, hard-to-farm peat into the largest cranberry operation in Canada and into a seat at the Ocean Spray table. See the Quebec farms guide on BestFarms.top for more of the province's notable producers.