As part of the National Agricultural Days in France (June 18th-19th), the Savelorges farm in the Loiret department is opening its doors to explain its agro-ecological practices and their environmental impacts. Come and discover a new agriculture.
What about growing onions without tilling the soil? How to sow a crop with a plant-based cover? Such are the challenges taken up by the three partners of the Savelorges farm, along with 8 other farms in the north of the Loiret department. These 9 farms in total, the BCO cooperative and their partners have set up the Agrognon project in order to test conservation agriculture on field vegetables and to better adapt to climate change.
Agrognon, revitalizing the soils
Recognized as a “European partnership for Innovation”, the Agrognon project aims at adapting farming practices to the increasingly extreme weather events and reducing the use of phytosanitary products. “We are changing our cultivation methods by returning to agronomy, our core business, above and under the ground. One of the goals of the project is to revitalize the fertilization of our soils,” explains Alain Sagot, one of the Savelorges partners and vice-president of the BCO onion cooperative. Several practices are being tested: covering the ground with a specific mixture called “Méliver Trognon”, reducing tillage, new planting techniques, crop diversification, taking biodiversity into account.
Agrognon, a chain from A to Z
With its 17 partners, Agrognon is considered a chain project. PADV (Pour une agriculture du vivant), Cristal Union, Axéréal, Hommes & territoires and the Chamber of Agriculture accompany the farmers in their new strategies. The financial part has not been not forgotten either: the goal is to calculate, with the agronomy school of Angers, the economic repercussions for each actor in the sector: from farmers to distributors, including the Cooperative U supermarkets.
This project is supported by the Centre-Val-de-Loire region and Europe for a duration of 3 years.
The BCO cooperative (Beauce Champagne onions) specializes in the production, packaging and marketing of garlic, onions and shallots. It brings together 55 farmers over 650 ha, spread over two production basins, Loiret and Champagne. The packing station is located in Sermaises (Loiret). With 30,000 tons of condiments sold each year, the cooperative represents 10% of the national market and has 45 employees.
Guided tours
To discover the first results, come to Rouvres-Saint-Jean on June 18th and 19th for 5 workshops:
- Agroecology, what is it all about?
- Which equipment is used on the Savelorges farm?
- Biodiversity: crop auxiliaries and pollination
- Soil life: what is hidden underneath our feet?
- The sectors: from the farm to our plates
For more information:
Beauce Champagne oignons
Florent Delaunay
BCO Technical Manager
Phone: 02 38 39 09 65