Basil, dill, mint, parsley... In the new greenhouses of Les Crudettes, in Saint-Denis-de-l'Hôtel, aromatic herbs are king. The crops cover 7,000 m2, sowing was done in February and marketing started a few weeks ago. "This is the first time that we are producers from seed to plant," says Géraldine Collet, director of marketing and innovation of the brand, which belongs to the plant division of the LSDH group.
Best known for its bagged salad, the company invested in a highly innovative technology, mobile aeroponics, which was first developed and tested in pilot greenhouses right next to its factory in Châteauneuf-sur-Loire.
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With this method of cultivation, the plants grow above ground, at human height, thanks to a nutrient solution sprayed directly on the roots that develop in the open air. "It is a sustainable production, without pesticides, and the greenhouse is heated thanks to the fatal energy recovered a few hundred meters away, on the plant protein extraction site of LSDH," adds the manager.
Soon medicinal plants?
The Crudettes intend to meet the appetite of consumers. Last year, its range of "conventional" herbs, produced by market gardeners partners elsewhere in France or abroad, grew by 39%.
Ultimately, the brand's desire is to switch all its aromatic ranges to zero pesticides. The Crudettes are also eyeing the market of medicinal plants or intended for cosmetics, which could also be grown on site. And she does not rule out extending this method of growing salad one day, with the construction of new greenhouses.