Originally, Maxime Lefebvre, chef and manager of the restaurant Le Bar’Île, on the island of Nantes, wanted to develop his supplies of organic vegetables. “ An organic vegetable farm was for sale south of Nantes, he explains. We had the idea of taking it over by creating a cooperative, Commun’Île, which brings together restaurant employees, customers and salaried market gardeners, so that the value produced on the farm is better shared. ».
Elia Chabrand and Christophe Godineau, who had just graduated from a BPREA, were interested. “ Product valuation is a real problem, considers Christophe Godineau. Having an assured income and a distribution network in Nantes will allow us to focus on production and overcome the isolation and lack of time that market gardeners often encounter in short supply chains. »
The farm now has 5,000 m² of open fields and 1,000 m² of tunnels and will initially focus on early and summer vegetables, with a little storage vegetables. The surfaces of tunnels then open fields will be developed to ensure the profitability of the operation. Hens will also be installed to provide eggs. 20% of the vegetables are intended for the Bar’Île and two other restaurants in Nantes which should join the cooperative in 2021. 80% will be sold directly twice a week on the restaurant websites.
« A model ofviable operation without subsidy »
All salaried partners are paid at minimum wage, with restaurant and farm profits having to be reinvested in projects. “ We can set up other market gardeners or producers from other sectors, indicate the partners. There is a strong demand for organic products. »The cooperative does not contribute to the MSA but to the Ursaff, most of the turnover being generated by the restaurants, the market gardeners have not, on the other hand, benefited from the Young Farmers aid or the aid of the Nantes metropolitan area short circuits. ” Maybe we can find a model that makes a farm viable without a subsidy », Considers Christophe Godineau.
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