Context
The initial intention was to set up a personal project which emphasizes biodiversity and organic farming. This project was built within the framework of BPREA (Brevet Professionnel de Responsable d'Exploitation Agricole) and a call for projects from the city of Grenoble offering agricultural land next to the city's horticultural garden.
The farm is an area of biodiversity. Products are sold by very short circuits (intramural: AMAP and direct sale). The farm also wishes to become a space for exchange between farmers to share good practices, as well as a place for education for schools in the city. The farm project is enriched by feedback from other farmers.
Project leaders
Mickaël Tenailleau is behind this project. He signed a 9-year lease with the city of Grenoble to develop his project. To set up the project, it was supported by the city of Grenoble as well as local farmers and crowdfunding.
Project
Once selected for the City of Grenoble's call for projects in May 2018, the first tasks were mainly administrative: seeking funding, applying for the Young Farmer Grant (DJA), contacting suppliers, purchasing equipment. The months of November 2018 to March 2019 were devoted to installing greenhouses, an irrigation system, and a chicken coop. From mid-March 2019, marketing began.
The urban farm is located on the outskirts of Grenoble, in Saint-Martin d'Hères on an area of 1 hectare. 6000m2 are devoted to market gardening, including 1000 m2 of greenhouse. The chicken coop accommodates 90 hens.
Mickaël works with an AMAP which ensures part of the sale of his products to over 100 people. With the surrounding farmers, they exchange, give advice, lend each other equipment.
Mickaël's main partners include the city of Grenoble, which has invested 80,000 euros, and he works in cooperation with the city's horticultural garden and the Bird Protection League (LPO) to set up a pond to promote the biodiversity.
For the moment Mickaël is working alone but plans to associate with a new person in 2021.
Results
Among the positive impacts:
- promote biodiversity in the city,
- be a player in the urban food network,
- be a place of education.
The results are very satisfactory in terms of production and there are no unsold products!
The Little Extra
Mickaël advises those interested to start on a smaller scale, because 1.37 hectare requires a lot of work and this was very intense during the installation period and the first years.
His luck was to arrive on land that was previously a meadow so this allowed him to obtain organic certification in the first year. The land faces south, protected by the banks of the Isère River, in a very good location.
Written by Irène Albarel, LFC volunteer - March 2020.
Last modification : 07 May 2020.
The detailed garden
The detailed gardens are an urban farm in market gardening and chicken farming, in organic farming. It is a space for education, biodiversity and agricultural activity that markets these products in short circuits.