As the holidays approach, consumers' tables like to adorn themselves with exotic fruits, often produced in the four corners of the world, a challenge for the carbon footprint. In Vendée, a nurseryman and a market gardener successfully produce citrus fruits, such as yuzus and mandarins.
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Matthieu Ouvrard, director of Végétal 85 à Lin Chaize-le-Vicomte, is a precursor. In his nursery, this enthusiast has been experimenting with the adaptation of plants to climate change for several years and is constantly diversifying his activity.
Hardy citrus varieties, resistant to the cold of our latitudes, have been part of the landscape of his farm for around ten years.
“There, we have two yuzus, here, a variety of mandarins called Changsha. Even more interesting in terms of fruit to eat, satsumas”he explains while walking through his nursery.
“It’s really a fruit that is very good and should be eaten directly. These are citrus fruits that are generally juicier than what you can find in stores”assures Matthieu Ouvrard, while detailing the orange flesh of the mandarin.
In its nursery, there are also many plants of yuzu, the Japanese lemon, now well known for its use in gastronomy. “You can use the bark to make candied bark and you can turn it into marmalade by simply removing the seeds.”
Yuzu or Japanese lemon is a fruit widely used in gastronomy.
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© France Télévisions
All these varieties of rustic citrus fruits, originating from the mountains of Japan, have adapted perfectly to the Vendée climate. “They are quite resistant to the cold. Initially, we brought them here and then, we multiplied them by grafting.”
Less than 5% of citrus fruits are suitable for outdoor cultivation in our latitudes. Those grown in Vendée are undemanding.
The advantage of hardy citrus fruits, grown outdoors, is that they have almost no pests or diseases because they do not suffer the stress of other citrus fruits that we are obliged to grow. grow inside and come out.
Matthew OuvrardDirector of Vegetal 85
For around ten years, the nursery has been offering hardy citrus plants
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These qualities seduced Marc Lepelletier, a market gardener based in La Ferrière (Vendée), to take the gamble on a citrus orchard last year. “There were failures last winter, problems with rootstocks that were not adapted to the terroirs, varieties that were a little too sensitive to the cold. We adjusted the strategy a little this year and we will continue to crash”, he explains.
Over the next 2 or 3 years we plan to plant several dozen more citrus fruits to reach at least 200 or 300 plants in production within a few years.
Marc LepelletierMaraicher
If its production still remains confidential, word of mouth plays a key role, a card to play in making yourself known. “There is public enthusiasm”confirms the market gardener. Nicolas Besombes, salesman from a local producers' store, who came to visit him, was not mistaken.
“It’s in the brand’s DNA, we’re not going to source our supplies from more than 100 km from the shelves of the points of sale. As soon as we have the opportunity to discover products that are out of the ordinary, we travel and we will meet the producer There is a real market for locally produced citrus fruits.he assures.
And like “at Sainte-Catherine, all wood takes root”, amateur gardeners could also be tempted by experimentation, provided they plant citrus fruits “in relatively rich soils, in sun or partial shade and protected from very strong winds”advises Matthieu Ouvrard.
With Sophie Wahl
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