The cooperative is experimenting a micro-farm formula. Backed by the Ferme de la Patte d’Oie, which manages field crops (cereals, etc.), it develops its activities in the form of workshops: market gardening, baking, breeding, arboriculture, processing, training, etc.
The potager de Graines de vie has been around for 15 years. It spans 85 ares, where a wide variety of vegetables, small fruits, and fruit trees are cultivated from mid-January to mid-December. They are very attentive to the taste quality of the vegetables, so they select old and rustic varieties from organic seed suppliers (primarily Bingenheimer). They cultivate on permanent beds, which allows them to continuously improve the health of the soil. Their market gardeners grow about a hundred varieties for the enjoyment of the “eaters” who commit to ordering their vegetable baskets throughout the season. They are pleased to support short supply chains while fostering the emergence of common and solidarity-based buying groups in several Brussels neighbourhoods and in Brabant Wallon.
The “plein champ” extends over one hectare next to the vegetable garden. It hosts storage vegetables and those that require a lot of space to grow. It is cultivated using animal traction with various traditional tools. In winter, Olivier and his three horses, Crac, Fangio, and Elmo, typically work in logging and tree pruning in the forest. During the growing season, they come to work in the field to prepare the soil for numerous sowings and plantings, such as potatoes, carrots, cabbages, leeks, and more. They also handle a significant portion of crop maintenance through weeding, hoeing, and hilling. Working with horses helps preserve soil health by avoiding the compaction caused by the much heavier wheels of tractors. Horse hooves are much less damaging, yet still allow for effective soil work.
The marketing strategy is based on GASAP. A GASAP, or Group of Solidarity Purchasing for Peasant Agriculture, is a partnership between consumers and a producer, with both parties committing to a full production season. The key concepts are:
- Solidarity: Producers commit to providing quality products, and consumers agree to pay a fair price in advance through a solidarity contract.
- Transparency: Product prices are set fairly, taking into account the actual production costs. This allows producers to earn a decent and stable income from their activity. Advance payments enable them to plan their work more easily (investments, crop planning, etc.). Consumers share some of the production risks (such as weather conditions, diseases) by accepting variations in the baskets.
Homepage: https://www.grainesdevie.coop/
e-mail: info@grainesdevie.coop
