this market gardener’s solutions to adapt to the disastrous weather

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Jonathan Brosseau is starting his fourth year of operation at Le Potager d’Hector farm, after 15 years in IT. “I wanted to find an activity with meaning and re-anchor myself in my territory,” explains the market gardener from La Plaine-sur-Mer (Loire-Atlantique).

Its operation is exclusively in organic farming“respectful of living things, the environment and health”. He cultivates more than 130 varieties of vegetables on three hectares of market gardening.

Too much precipitation in 2024

A farm on a human scale, a place of production, but also a welcoming site where contact with his customers, whom he prefers to call “eaters”, is privileged.

As for many operators, the year 2024 was climatically difficult. After the drought of summer 2023, extraordinary rainfall impacted its activity, notably prompting breeders in Loire-Atlantique to request help.

During the last quarter of that same year, 400 millimeters of water fell in Loire-Atlantique, i.e. half the usual annual volume.

Crops destroyed…

As its name suggests, the hamlet of La Noë, which hosts the farm, is located on a basin of land which retains water. Rooting crops (carrots) and late crops, such as lamb’s lettuce and spinach, are drowned and destroyed.

The excess moisture in the soil in spring also made it impossible to plant early crops such as spinach, peas and the first species of green beans.

…and present illnesses

Furthermore, the humid atmosphere favored theemergence of fungal diseases such as downy mildew and botrytis. “It’s less serious, because the work has not been undertaken, but it nevertheless represents a shortfall,” explains Jonathan Brosseau.

A survey carried out among market gardeners in the department by the Group of Agricultural Biologists 44 reports on the situation.

To the question relating to the significant consequences of poor climatic conditions in 2024, 97.4% of the 76 responses were positive, 61 of them mentioning the desire for financial compensation.

Added to this is a drop in attendance at the summer marketshunned this year by passing customers due to unpredictable weather.

Des solutions ?

For the market gardener, there are three levers to adapt and prevent risks linked to climatic hazards. The first would be the open field drainageby crisscrossing cultivated land with underground drains. A solution that he does not wish to adopt for ethical reasons.

Another possibility: the varietal leverby the choice of species less sensitive to different fungal diseases. As an experiment, he cultivated three varieties of tomatoes with relative resistance to certain forms of late blight.

Third option, which he plans to implement, develop the surface area of ​​crops under cover for better control of heat and watering with the installation of lighter trellising, because it is protected, and therefore less expensive.

A solution allowing the development of better ventilated vertical crops. It remains to assess the relevance of the investment and the aid that can be requested.

Its outlets for 80% of its production are the “eaters” of its farm market which is held twice a week, faithful people driven by the same concern for respect for nature and eating well, organic, fresh and local. For the rest, a few local retailers and customers passing through the summer market and, more occasionally, the town’s school catering, depending on the state of stock.

A stimulating challenge

At the request of restaurateurs, recently for the chef of the restaurant Le Saint Paul, in Préfailles, with whom he maintains a great bond, he also experiments with new vegetableslike a certain variety of pepper.

A “stimulating little challenge” that Jonathan Brosseau particularly likes. And to complete its civic and committed approach, in the event of overproduction, surplus vegetables are sold to Restos du coeur.

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