two more years to recover

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A year ago, desolation reigned over the Sabine Le Tual farm in Coat Don, Plouguiel, following the passage of the Storm Ciaran who devastated his land.

Its tunnels under which it produced its organic fruits and vegetables were destroyed: loose metal carcasses, torn tarpaulins… the infrastructure was collapsed. Just like the market gardener facing this sad spectacle.

No insurance but solidarity

A year later, things are better for Sabine, who has managed to get back on track and move forward, although everything is not yet resolved.

We built a tunnel in the spring. But there is still one to go back and one to reconstruct.

However, economically, things have not quite returned to normal: “Financially, it will take me another two years to recover.”

For Sabine, “as a single woman on the farm”, the situation was not clear before the storm. This meteorological outburst was therefore a real blow.

Especially since the latter received nothing from her insurance. However, she obtained some aid from the state “plus a small gesture from the MSA, but it was not enough to compensate for the losses due to the storm”.

But thanks to mutual help, Sabine was able to get through it. “The outpouring of solidarity was great. I launched a leetchi pot, Civil Security and fellow market gardeners came to help with the dismantling. Then I had good support from the bank, especially in winter, even on reconstruction. We still did everything again on our own, it took us more time but we didn't have the finances to hire a company. »

Material losses, but not only

At the time, she had to stop for two weeks before she could resume her activity.

He had some vegetables left that kept well in storage. But “there were losses in sales and production”, particularly for spring crops, because that is when she should have done her planting. “I compensated with purchase and resale. »

Fortunately, “we managed to have our summer season”, the period when sales are the highest.

“Take some positive out of it all”

In market gardening, we are used to bouncing back, that's the mentality of farmers.

Sabine has decided to see things on the bright side, although everything is not resolved. She is even developing, especially since today, she is no longer alone, “David joins me”.

“We are developing the sales side with the markets. » Customers will soon be able to find Sabine's fruits and vegetables at the Lannion market on Thursday mornings. She will also be present on Tuesday at Louannec. “We are also going to develop on-farm sales. »

Other new features: “We will soon have a website for online ordersin click & collect, and we will also work with a restaurant. » Great projects in perspective.

For her, this storm, “it was almost like a renewal, with a new way of working… I'm trying to draw some positives from all of this and get back on the right foot.”

Melanie Sparfel

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