In Auray (Morbihan), sisters Julie and Johana Tanguy chose to specialize in strawberries and raspberries when they took over the family business.
In the 1920s, their great-grandmother Philomène Tanguy started by raising a few dairy cows in Saint-Goustan. After an accident, her husband decided to leave the Navy to become a farmer. The couple started growing vegetables on two sites in Saint Goustan and Pluneret (Morbihan). Then, their children took over in the 1950s. It was only in the 1980s that they stopped breeding cattle to focus on fruit and vegetables, as well as cut flowers.
“At the age of 10, we were joining our parents on the markets, and at 14, we were invested in the farm,” explains Johana. After studies in the field of agriculture, the two sisters decided to take over from their father who was approaching retirement.
With their uncle, they chose to specialize in strawberries and raspberries. “Farming is extremely demanding work. We wanted a better quality of life than that of our parents, who only had Christmas day and January 1st off throughout their professional lives. But we also wanted a profession a little less demanding physically and to work on products that we like.” Growing red fruits, most of the work is done between mid-March and mid-November, with lighter weeks the rest of the time.
They produce 7 different varieties of strawberries, whose production goes from spring to fall, and 2 varieties of raspberries, harvested from mid-May to the beginning of November, and cherry tomatoes that start to give in May. “We also wanted to produce delicious fruits. That is why we called our company the Délices of Saint-Goustan.”
The farm does not have the organic label but the two sisters produce with respect of the environment. “It is a delicate crop and the fruits are very fragile, but we have always avoided the use of chemical products. When the crops are threatened by insects, we simply bring pests. As for the pollination, the bumblebees take care of it thanks to the hives in the greenhouses.” By investing 500,000 € [561,892 USD] in 2016 in a latest-generation glass greenhouse that is more sustainable, the two farmers have ensured their future and optimized their production. The facility which allows them to grow in hanging pots and save water, offers a huge potential. It regulates the light, maintains a constant temperature day and night, which must be cooler so that the fruits can develop optimally. Thanks to its height, it also allows for the air circulation needed for the cultivation of red fruits. All the plants are renewed each year to avoid diseases and the degeneration of fruits.
“If we did not want the organic label, it was because we like to keep prices accessible to all, regardless of the quantity that is bought,” explained the two sisters.
Since 2012, their revenue has been increasing and the production has doubled. They are present on up to 16 markets a week from Lorient to Ploërmel, Malestroit, Sarzeau, Vannes and the entire Auray region. But more importantly, they have been able to retain a high-end clientele and their clients include about 20 pastry chefs and just as many caterers who recognize the quality of their production.
Among their medium-term projects, the Délices of Saint-Goustan would like to give up their trays made of recycled plastic and to turn to a more ecological material.
Source: letelegramme.fr