His father was a pioneer, Mehdi takes up the torch in Tréogat

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« Aromatic and medicinal plants ? I came there a bit by chance,” Gérard Bensoussan readily admits. Living in Paris, he dreams of agriculture, without really knowing how to get there. And it is his mother, by giving him a book on medicinal plants, who will give him the key. “A SVT teacher gave me a taste for studying human body. Medicinal plants were an opportunity to combine my two passions.”

1.12 ha without buildings or hedges

He resumed his studies, this time in agriculture, and went to his grandmother’s house in Scaër to look for a farmwhich he finally unearths in Tréogat. “ 1.12 ha, without buildings or hedges ». No matter, he establishes his crops, builds the premises he needs, finds markets for his plants… “40 years ago, it was the beginning of organic stores, who sought to get supplies locally, the emergence of alternative medicine... The time was right to get started.” Located just 800 m from the sea, the farm is also a good choice. “Brightness promotes photosynthesis. And there is less precipitation than inland, so fewer illnesses “. A major asset for crops grown in organic farming. “And in Tréogat, we also discovered a human environment which we really liked.”

“A job that I love”

Mehdi, his son, does not say anything else when he affirms that his objective, in life, “is to make a job that I lovein a place I love, surrounded by people I love.”

Although he always worked on the farm, “I wasn’t really thinking about settling down”. He is completing a university course Stapssciences and techniques of physical and sporting activities, and satisfies his taste for travel, particularly in Asia. And it was back from Japan, in 2014, that he planned to resume operations.

Farmer and sports instructor

He first developed an activity ofsports instructor, by providing courses in surrounding communities during the school year and by supervising summer camps welcoming children with disabilities, while working part-time on the farm. “But Covid has reshuffled the cards.”

He focused for a time on operations, where he gained experience and began to delve into the administrative side, before moving to 1^e last January, following the retirement of his father. “As a farmer primarily,” specifies the young man. “Because I continue to give lessons in Quimper, in the Bigouden country and Cap Sizun: these are two activities that I love and which bring me different things “. And with the support of Crédit Agricole, whose relationships he appreciates. “I am a tenant of the land and buildings: the investment is not very high.”

Operation counts today 1.5 ha of crops, that Mehdi leads with the help of Myriam, an employee, and the help of her father. “Aromatic and medicinal plants are very labor intensive », explains the latter. “Once the plant has been harvested, only half the work is done: you then have to dry it, strip the leaves, sieve it, condition it…”.

50 different species

Mint, verbena, basil, rosemary, thyme, oregano, chamomile, marjoram…: Tisanes de Ker Héol cultivate around fifty different aromatic and medicinal plants. “For 30 years, I sold simple plants »explains Gérard. Then the mixtures gradually established themselves, up to a dozen recipes.

Circulation, draining, sport…: while some clearly display the color, others reserve a few surprises, like the Festif herbal tea, reserved for festive evenings for those who do not drink alcohol. “It’s a delightful mixture, with a fruity taste,” explains Mehdi. Invigorating blend, Sunrise rubs shoulders with the moon and the stars, to be enjoyed in the evening, to spend a good night. Without forgetting the bigouden mixture, with basil, which gives the herbal tea a little cinnamon taste.

A new building

Established for almost a year, Mehdi has no shortage of projects. “I attach myself first to perpetuate the existing », insists the farmer. “In the longer term, I would like to build a more suitable building to our activity.” While it would improve working conditions, it would also welcome the public and trainees in better conditions. But building by the sea is not easy, even if it is an agricultural building. “I started talking with the town hall, the state services…”. As during its installation, the Agricultural credit will be requested again. “It was the bank that supported my installation, at a time when it had no perspective on the production of aromatic and medicinal plants,” appreciates Gérard, who was able to count on the support of the green bank throughout. of his professional life.

The bank of all agriculture

” We are the bank of all agriculture », Specifies Dorothée Le Bras, agricultural installation expert at Crédit agricole du Finistère. A new production is being established and the bank is seeking information from its partners. “The Chamber of Agriculture, the GAB, the group of organic farmers, or the Civam, the center of initiatives to promote agriculture and the rural environment, can help us provide figures. We can also collect them from other Crédit Agricole banks, such as for flax, which is well established in Normandy, or vines.” But there is no question, for the green bank, of sticking to figures alone. “The exchange with the project leader is crucial, in order to take stock of one’s know-how, one’s interpersonal skills…”.

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