The reputation of vegetables from the Prés Neufs farm in Longpont-sur-Orge (Essonne) is no longer to be proven: for twelve years they have been delighting the taste buds of more than a hundred families members of three Amap (associations for the maintenance of peasant agriculture) in Île-de-France, but also the customers of several gourmet restaurants in Paris. The nutrients contained in the clayey and muddy soil where they grow in Essonne undoubtedly contribute to giving them this unrivaled taste.
But working such a soil, which is sticky as soon as it is wet and which can be very dry in hot weather, does not only have advantages. It even requires a lot of effort. It is to improve the well-being of the people who work on the farm that Erwan Humbert opened a prize pool on Blue Bees*.
Unexpected help
With more than 13,000 euros already collected thanks to more than 110 contributors, the minimum objective of 5,000 euros has already been largely exceeded. As part of the system “I feed Paris”Blue Bees and the City of Paris help Ile-de-France farmers who distribute all or part of their production. How ? By doubling the amount of their prize pool from 5,000 euros collected. The Prés Neufs farm will therefore be able to count on nearly 30,000 euros in total aid. Unexpected.
Before launching this fundraiser, Erwan Humbert had set several milestones: “With 3,000 euros, we will be able to buy a lightweight weeding bed tool; with 5,000 euros, we will be able to buy a tiller for our Fortier gardens (by Quebecer Jean-Martin Fortier, who is developing an intensive organic production method on small areas) ; with 8,000 euros, a two-row planter with efficient buckets; with 10,000 euros, we will be able to invest in a thermal tool holder which makes a person autonomous in precision hoeing in the open field. »
And with 15,000 euros, the amount that could be reached before the prize pool closes this Thursday, October 31, the operation will be able to finance a Ponchon electric tool holder. This kind of electric straddle is a real harvesting and planting assistant, it acts as a weeding bed… “It’s a magical tool for reducing arduousness,” enthuses Erwan Humbert, who followed the creation in 2018 of this machine at his college Jacques Frings, a pioneer of organic farming based in Seine-et-Marne, who helped the Ponchon company to refine its market garden straddler.
“This will contribute to the sustainability of the farm and reduce the arduousness of market gardening tasksexplains Erwan Humbert. There are four of us working on this 3.5 hectare market gardening farm (7 hectares in total): Sarah, the farm manager, Fabrice, the head of field cultivation, Christelle, head of the nursery, and me , the founder. We are committed to promoting natural, healthy and sustainable food, in good working conditions. »
300 varieties of vegetables, aromatics and edible flowers
To cultivate the 300 varieties of vegetables, aromatics and edible flowers, the team excludes all chemicals and goes well beyond the criteria imposed on organic farming: no chemical inputs, not even copper authorized in organic farming, market gardening on soil living, no mechanical tillage of the soil, agroforestry, agroecology, biodiversity, hedgerows…
“But all this has a human cost,” points out Erwan Humbert. If we want to sustain the farm, we must invest in more ergonomic tools. It is a necessity to ensure the requested volumes, i.e. in 2024 more than 36,000 leeks, 12,000 cabbages, 3,000 squashes, kilometers of carrots…”
Products that inspire the most talented chefs. In 2022, Sugio Yamaguchi, chef and co-founder of the Botanique restaurant in Paris, became the first world champion of celery remoulade in front of a jury notably composed of the multi-starred chef Yannick Alléno. He developed his recipe using celery grown on the Prés Neufs farm.
Manon Fleury, rising star of Parisian gastronomy which this year won a star in the Michelin guide barely six months after the opening of its restaurant Datil in the 3rd arrondissement of Paris, also relies (among other things) on vegetables grown in Longpont-sur-Orge to compose its plates. The chef also relayed the prize pool launched by Erwan Humbert.
Other associations and organizations advocating the agricultural transition also relayed the call “to help the Prés Neufs farm to be even more efficient and virtuous”.
*Closing of the prize pool this Thursday, October 31 in the evening: https://bluebees.fr/fr/project/1287-ferme-des-pres-neufs