For two years, producers from the Saint-Pol-de-Léon Sica and the UCPT have been growing kale. Whilst growing kale is quite similar to other types of cabbage, it’s harvest is more demanding.
Vincent Merrien and his 3 partners farm on 40 hectares on the Northern coast of the Finistère region. For 5 years they have been producing cabbage, artichokes, shallots, broccoli, sweetcorn and squash, and now kale for the last 2 years. Kale is new in the region, it is “in fashion” says Mr Merrien who sees it as a way of varying their production. “We launched into kale farming with another producer in the Saint-Pol-de-Léon Sica in 2013-2014, and this season with 7 other members of the Sica and 5 producers from the Paimpol and Tréguier Cooperatives Union (UCPT) have also started producing it”.