A rainy Sunday in Eastman, from Serres Simard to Dora's donuts

Today, on a small rainy Sunday, Florence and I headed to Serres Simard in Eastman. It’s a fruits-and-vegetables centre where you meet very friendly people, the same ones you’ve seen there for years. We bought lots of things. It’s harvest time, so it’s beautiful, it’s tasty, and you’ve got to enjoy it while it lasts, because the place is only open during the summer season.

The wooden kiosk is rustic and the baskets overflow. We saw tomatoes, cucumbers, cauliflower, broccoli, corn, onions, celery, lettuces, lots and lots of fresh vegetables. There are also flowers and fruit, with trays of strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and grapes on one table, then colorful squash and pumpkins lined up on a wooden table. Outside, the wet gravel path winds through the vegetable and floral garden under a gray, misty sky, and the farm buildings take on a nice late-season feel.

This mix of strawberries and pumpkins on the same tables isn’t surprising at the end of the season. According to Mangez Québec’s arrivals calendar, consulted September 2026, July and August correspond to the peak abundance in the fields, with sweet corn, tomatoes, blueberries and strawberries, while autumn extends the season to November with squash, pumpkins and apples. Seeing berries and pumpkins side by side marks the junction between the end of summer and the start of autumn.

Autumn strawberries aren’t leftovers from summer either. Eastern Townships Tourism, in a July 2025 update article consulted in September 2026, notes that autumn strawberries account for 54% of Quebec’s annual strawberry production, and that raspberries and grapes are also harvested in the region in September and October. Aliments du Québec, consulted on the same date, reminds that September is the time for apples while it’s still the season for peppers. If you’re planning your visit, I’d suggest aiming for this late-summer window to enjoy both berries and the first squash.

For the dog, I’d simply suggest checking with the kiosk before you come to see if it’s allowed inside or only on the grounds, since each food business has its own rules.

Another stop in the village, at Bowen, a business that has only been open for a few months. The menu lists three functions at once—coffee, a buvette and provisions—and that’s exactly what you see at the counter, with breads, pastries and grab-and-go meals. The ready-to-go options are very interesting, and the place also turns into a buvette with lively evenings.

The interior is clean and bright, with large windows, tables, stools and a counter, in a calm and really relaxed vibe. People come here to work, a bit like Starbucks, but in a country style. I found the place very pleasant, and dogs are welcome, which fits nicely with a day that started at Serres Simard with your companion.