After a call for applications, L'Union (Haute-Garonne) found the market gardener who will operate its future organic farm.
“It should arrive mid-March.
The project is launched,” says Yvan Navarro, deputy mayor in charge of the file.
Objective, to supply fruits and vegetables to the canteens of this city of more than 12,000 inhabitants of the Toulouse metropolitan area.
For the elected official, it is the culmination of an idea launched three and a half years ago, during the previous municipal campaign, after discovering the concept launched by the town of Mouans-Sartoux, in the Alpes-Maritimes. .
“We went to see it on site, we spoke with the people involved and we wanted to reproduce it on a smaller scale,” he explains.
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While many communities choose to entrust certain plots to farmers, L'Union has chosen a management company to hire a market gardener.
“The idea is to reduce the circuit, to provide space for school and alumni meals.
We could therefore not ask a farmer, who would not have been financially successful,” argues Yvan Navarro.
Developments carried out in spring
This farm will be set up on 1.7 hectares of land previously made available to a farmer, but left fallow for three years to allow its conversion to organic.
Investments will be made in the spring and this summer to develop the site, based in particular on the instructions of the municipal market gardener, who will have 1.4 hectares devoted to crops.
“The start of cultivation is planned for this fall,” specifies the elected official from L'Union, who also relied on the expertise of Toulouse Métropole to carry out studies on this model.
Currently, the town serves 1,100 to 1,200 meals per day between the three school groups and home delivery of meals for seniors.
Where Mouans-Sartoux meets 80% of fruit and vegetable needs, L'Union "hopes to gradually cover 20 to 30% and then ramp up", assures Yvan Navarro.