The self-construction cooperative “Atelier paysan” visited the Jura this week to help farmers and market gardeners repair and make the tools they need to work their fields. A way to make them more autonomous, they who often work alone, and to adapt the tool to the size of their farms.
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They cut, they sand, they brush, they weld, in this workshop in Arbois (Jura), a handful of peasants handle, sometimes with clumsiness, all types of tools to make in metal what they need to their market gardening activity.
Bénédicte's ambition is to make a wheelbarrow in five days, the duration of the training. At the end of this week, all that remains is the handles to attach.
I was a novice, it took me a long time to put on pliers, but I'm going to get there
Bénédicte Masnada, peasant from Jura
At his side, Antonin Ariagno trainer within the Atelier paysan. L'Atelier paysan is a cooperative which initiated these itinerant training courses. Antonin provides his advice and support in the manufacture of tools, thanks to his know-how and the various already existing plans that he makes available to these students, like Bénédicte.
Antonin Ariagno, trainer at Atelier paysan and Bénédicte Masnada, farmer in the Jura.
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© Hugues Perret – France Télévisions
“The idea is to develop agroecology, peasant agriculture and to make farmers more independent on their farms by adapting tools to their needs”explain Antonin Ariagnotrainer at the Paysan workshop.
The Atelier Paysan allows farmers to make certain old machines themselves.
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© Hugues Perret – France Télévisions
Bénédicte, but also Thomas. This market gardener comes specially from Haute-Loire, to make a machine from the 1950s, the pyre, a tool holder for animal traction that is not found in France or second-hand. The Atelier paysan redid the plans, a few years ago, they called it the neobûcher which is similar.
What is complex is mainly manufacturing it in a few days, but above all it will allow me to have the tool. It's going to cost me 1600 euros, the price of metal, but it's still cheaper than l’importer
Thomas Colin, market gardener from Haute-Loire
Thomas Colin, market gardener from Haute-Loire, listens to the advice of Antonin Ariagno, trainer at Atelier paysan.
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© Hugues Perret – France Télévisions
The Atelier paysan has existed for 15 years and has been offering these training courses for around ten years. Its objective is to share and broadcast THE peasant knowledge onself-build tools and of built, but also to offer a meeting space for acquire technological autonomy and mechanical. The cooperative is working also to analyze the evolution of l’agriculture and cultivates more general avenues of action.
If Antonin came to the Jura to give lessons, it is because the Collectif Vrilles requested it. This mutual aid collective organizes meetings between farmers and market gardeners from the department to discuss technical, administrative and land aspects. Jura is a department which has seen a big wave of farmers and market gardeners settling in in recent years.
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