Thursday January 16, 2025, the meeting was given at the village hall of Luçay-le-Mâle. “I’m sorry, they forgot to turn on the heating”apologizes Morgane Mélan, facilitator at Civam de Valençay, to the first arrivals. With hot coffee or tea in hand to warm up, everyone takes their seats so that the meeting can begin. If around ten farmers met here on a Thursday at 2 p.m., it was to discuss “Agribox”, a project launched by Civam, in partnership with the Pays de Valençay tourist office. and the Pays de Valençay en Berry.
“What if one gets kicked by a cow? »
The idea behind the Agribox is to “create an innovative tool to develop agritourism”explains Morgane. “This formula allows us to welcome people to the farms, to explain the profession, and for them to get involved. » Following the Smartbox model, instead of spending a day at the spa, it would be a moment of immersion on the farm. Harvesting honey, milking cows or making goat cheese, all examples of activities that could be offered in the Agribox catalog.
These activities would create links between farmers and consumers. “There are more and more demands for a return to local producers”underlines Jean Aufrere, president of the Pays de Valençay. And there is above all an educational need, according to him, since children, even in rural areas, “eat butter, but don’t know how it is made, and where it comes from”he regrets.
More questions than answers
“Everything remains to be builtrecalls Morgane Mélan, This is just the first meeting today. » If the precise framework of this project has not yet been fixed, it is because it is intended to be collaborative, so that farmers decide on the terms. During the meeting, we ask ourselves more questions than we find answers. How long do the activities last? How do we set the box prices? How does the money get back to farmers? Does it have to be available all year round? The only thing that has already been decided is that the marketing test should be done within two years. The rest is left to the free imagination of the participants.
-“And if there is one who gets kicked by a cow”asks Nicolas Leffray, cattle breeder, with a smile. “We’re used to it, but we shouldn’t have any problems,” he says. Sitting next to him, Éliane Quaak, a poultry breeder and organic saffron producer, says: “And if they participate, isn’t it covert work?” »she asks herself pertinently. So many questions that will require “the participation of a lawyer”underlines Morgane, to clarify all the details in law and in terms of insurance.
Lucie is a salaried beekeeper in Chabris. “It deserves to be developed and well thought out”she analyzes, “but it’s a great project”. She wonders about the capacity of the farm on which she works to accommodate this type of service, since “the operation is designed to work above all”notes the young woman, worried about the level of quality of experience that would be expected by customers. The next meeting will take place before spring, to establish a timetable and determine the precise outlines of the project.
More information: Civam de Valençay, tel. 02.54.00.13.99 or [email protected]
