Mike Knetzger (Left) and Gregoire Marion (Right) discussing farm planning amidst the calendula blooms.
[Nationwide] - Tucked into the rolling, forested terrain of Charlevoix, Quebec, La Ferme À Ciel Sur Mer is cultivating more than just medicinal herbs—it is fostering a culture of connection: to the land, to community, and within family. While its regenerative agricultural practices set it apart in the growing field of organic farming, the deeper impact of the farm lies in its quiet contribution to place-based living and holistic well-being.
Founded in 2020 by Mike Knetzger, La Ferme À Ciel Sur Mer emerged from a personal turning point: a desire to live with greater intention, to build a future grounded in environmental ethics, and to create a lifestyle attuned to nature. Having known the Charlevoix region since the 1990s, the Knetzger family was already deeply tied to the region. Launching a farm was not a departure but a deepening—a way to express their longstanding values through work that honors the land and gives back to it.
Charlevoix itself, with its clean air, expansive woodlands, and commanding views of the St. Lawrence River, offers the ideal setting for such a vision. It is a place that invites slowness and reflection, and the farm has become an extension of this landscape—a physical space where ecological harmony and personal wellness converge.
The farm’s emphasis on herbal wellness reflects a philosophy that health begins not in clinics but in everyday life—in the soil, in the food and herbs people consume, and in the spaces they inhabit. By growing herbs with known therapeutic qualities, La Ferme À Ciel Sur Mer encourages a return to traditional, plant-based health practices. These herbs, ranging from familiar names like chamomile and peppermint to more specialized medicinal plants, are cultivated with the intention of restoring both body and spirit.
Equally important is the farm’s approach to how these herbs are delivered. Eschewing the lengthy global supply chains that dominate the wellness industry, La Ferme À Ciel Sur Mer maintains a direct line between cultivation and consumption. Herbs are grown, harvested, and packaged on-site, then shipped straight to customers—ensuring peak potency and a transparent relationship between grower and buyer.
But what truly sets the farm apart is its role as a lived space—where the rhythms of nature shape the daily routine, and where family life unfolds against a backdrop of fields and forests. With two young children now part of the farm’s story, La Ferme À Ciel Sur Mer has grown into an intergenerational experience. It’s not simply a place of business; it is where children play, explore, and learn the principles of care, sustainability, and attentiveness that guide their parents’ work.
These lessons extend beyond the family. The farm participates in local markets, inviting others in the Charlevoix community to engage with their products and practices. In doing so, La Ferme À Ciel Sur Mer contributes to a larger cultural movement—one that values local food systems, ecological stewardship, and shared knowledge. It is part of a regional network that sees agriculture not just as a profession but as a collaborative endeavor that strengthens rural identity and resilience.
The farm’s location presents real challenges—harsh winters, a shorter growing season, and the demands of managing a regenerative system in a cold climate. But these obstacles have also sharpened its purpose. La Ferme À Ciel Sur Mer was never meant to be an industrial-scale operation. Its strength lies in its intentional scale and the care embedded in each step of its process.
Regenerative farming, while central to its methods, is only one layer of the farm’s mission. At its core, La Ferme À Ciel Sur Mer is about making space—for the land to heal, for families to thrive, and for individuals to reconnect with the natural world. In this way, it offers more than products; it offers a perspective on how to live with greater awareness and reciprocity.
Looking ahead, the farm plans to expand its botanical offerings and develop more community-facing initiatives, such as educational outreach and on-site experiences. These efforts aim to broaden the conversation around herbal wellness, inviting others to see medicinal herbs not as isolated commodities but as part of a holistic lifestyle rooted in place and purpose.
In Charlevoix, where land and legacy often go hand in hand, La Ferme À Ciel Sur Mer stands as a modern expression of ancestral values. It reminds visitors and customers alike that healing does not always come in packaged formulas—it can be grown, nurtured, and shared, one plant at a time, in harmony with the land and with others.