La Ferme Martinette is located a dozen kilometres east of
the town of Coaticook, in Quebec's Eastern Townships, just 150 km east of Montreal, 260 km
south of Quebec City, and 20 km from the Vermont (US) border. Visitors revel in the
tranquility of the region's green hills and the majesty of Mount Pinnacle, Barnston Peak,
Owl's Head Mountain, Mount Orford, Jay Peak, and the White Mountains of Vermont which
border this part of Quebec. This major agricultural area also boasts more than 600
established farms, of which 300 are dairy operations, making this the "dairy basin of
Quebec". The Abenaquis Indians were the first to enjoy the region's natural bounty,
and their presence echoes in its place names: Memphremagog, Massawippi, Megantic,
Coaticook. Then, during the American Revolutionary War (1776-1782), came the United Empire
Loyalists, colonists who remained faithful to the British Crown. After the rebel victory,
the British government decided to reward its loyal subjects with land in Canada: the
"townships". And so it was that in the eighteenth century, thousands of settlers
came to live in the Eastern Townships.
With its rich past and unique history, the town of
Coaticook is a charming spot, and its beauty is enhanced by the delightful winding river
from which it took its name. "Coaticook" comes from the Abenaquis word
koatikeku, "river of the land of the pine." Dubbed "the pearl of the
Eastern Townships," Coaticook has become the commercial, industrial, and recreational
hub of a prosperous agricultural region. Here the riches of past and present coexist
harmoniously in a multifaceted architectural heritage: Only two minutes' drive from the
farm is the "Round Barn" of Barnston, a structure unlike any other in Quebec.
Also nearby are the imposing edifices of Old Coaticook, part of the network protected by
the VVAPQ ("Villes et villages d'art et de patrimoine du Québec"), an
organisation devoted to preserving Quebec's grand nineteenth-century houses.
You can also discover the region's rich religious history by visiting the many
family graveyards that dot the countryside, reminders of former English-speaking settlers.
Natural wonders abound here. The hanging bridge spanning the Coaticook Gorge is one of the most spectacular phenomena in southern Quebec: suspended at a height of 50 m, it measures 169 m in length and is featured in the Guinness Book of Records. Lovers of the great outdoors will find walking, cycling, and horseback-riding trails aplenty, as well as relaxing activities for the whole family: sports fishing, lakes for swimming and boating, a poet's path, rock-climbing, golf courses, even a labyrinth in a field of sweet corn - a maize maze!
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