A seed sown that germinated very quickly! The “Ma Ferme” cooperative came to fruition during the health crisis like many latent ideas. And even more so, at that time, the project coincided with a collective more in transition towards the short circuit. “The local grocer saw the number of his customers increase, but he told me that we weren’t producing enough in the region. His products were purchased from a wholesaler. It was a real shame.”explains Stephan De Brabandere, founder and coordinator of “Ma Ferme” located in Enghien.
Local productivity being insufficient, access to land and the potential association of several producers were the driving forces behind a new business model. “Twenty years ago, I studied on an investment fund in agricultural land in order to make it available for organic farming. This confronted another of my current observations. Being in the field coworking, I realized the importance of bringing professionals together. I said to myself that we could apply this logic to a sector which is rather subject to solitude, in search of capital and sharing of infrastructure..
The conference will be held as part of the Lasemo Festival
In three years, 1,300 consumers, producers and investors joined the project and became cooperators. “There had to be these three profiles. The fact that each person invested between 50 and 50,000 euros made it possible to create a bond between the participants. There was something reassuring”.
Today, “Ma Ferme” defines itself as a platform that offers flexible and accessible infrastructures with visibility in order to allow activities to launch without taking too many risks. “We don’t claim to have invented a perfect model. We got it wrong on several points and that’s what we’re going to testify to at the Lasemo papoterie on Sunday July 14. This first conference will force us to structure the message”.
More than ten varied activities
In order to be able to physically establish the different activities, it was necessary to find a farm which met two criteria in particular: having covered areas and more than ten hectares. “We made three offers. The third corresponded in every way to what we wanted. The owners at the time did not believe in our project at all. They signed a promise of sale for a period of 50 days. What we initially considered to be a huge obstacle was an element that enabled our success. This feeling of urgency was motivating for many members. Moreover, seeing the enthusiasm day by day. owners have become stakeholders”.
The farm has kept the two original dwellings. One is occupied by Jessica, a goatherd. “Agricultural professions are still linked to an on-site presence”. The other by a family where one of the parents has a carpentry workshop. Over time, the other buildings were developed. “We also have a cheese factory which processes goat’s milk. The sale of products is shared with those from market gardening. There is an orchard and large crops on eight hectares. We were contacted by local breweries. We encouraged them to create their own cooperative A group of citizens takes charge of organizing events and concerts An educational space is reserved for children in particular with disabilities. artist has a small annex.
Well beyond the financial return, “Ma Ferme” develops ecological and societal values. “I’m thinking, for example, of the goatherd farm which enriches the soil thanks to the occupied meadows. Concerning market gardening, we have integrated the entire risk into the cooperative. It’s a bit technical, but basically, if the production is poor, the market gardener will still be paid for his work”.
New cooperators and their project can always join the adventure. “Either we welcome the activity independently, or we can go as far as complete integration of the activity into the cooperative”. After the conference given at Lasemo, open days will be organized on August 31.
