In recent years, a cluster of organic market gardeners has spread over the flood-prone but fertile land in the Blois Vienne district, on the banks of the Loire. Each with their own opportunities and, today, major disappointments. “Winter is a time to rest. But here it is impossible. I have just been placed in receivership and my brain is working at 2,000 an hour to find solutions”underline Ary Régent, three children and almost 50 years old, who defines himself as a vegetable farmer.
In 2018, at the time of launching, he had bet everything on the supply of baskets of seasonal vegetables to the employees of the companies populating the area of activity of Blois. Non-binding and customizable. But with the Covid-19 crisis and inflation, his clientele evaporated: “My clients like working from home and only return to the office two days a week. » Ary plays his all in the creation of an association for the maintenance of peasant agriculture, which is surprisingly lacking in Blois. “To get by, I would need 200 baskets a week and 100,000 euros in turnover. I want to believe it “he says.
On the other side of the evangelical church “Vie et Lumière”, frequented by travelers, spread out the sparkling greenhouses of the Jardins de Cocagne. A sign “Direct sale, 3 salads for 2 euros” catches the eye. The farm employs 50 people in reintegration. It is one of the largest organic vegetable farms in the region, also specializing in direct sales. “We have 550 subscribers in Loir-et-Cher, a stable figure, and we consider ourselves really lucky”comments Nina Arnould, co-director.
“The market for restaurants and shops is contracting”
However, the bulk of his clientele is further afield, in Paris and Orléans. “In 2021, we were at 2,500 baskets per week. Right now it’s 1,350, she observes. For the five Jardins de Cocagne in the region, the sale of vegetables to individuals has fallen by 30% on average. » Mme Arnould is considering new outlets. “But which ones? The market for restaurants and shops, for example, is also contracting. » There remains food aid, intended for solidarity grocery stores or the Secours populaire, and sold at wholesale prices. It is in full swing, but not enough.
This Tuesday afternoon, Anne-Sophie Castets, pink cheekbones and laughing eyes, welcomes six young people from the horticultural school in Blois, as part of their practical work. It is part of the activity of “Green Fours”, a farm that she has been running since 2013, with her wife Brigitte. Its vegetable production is mainly intended for Biocoop supermarkets, those of Blois and Vineuil, but also for others in the north of the Paris region.
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