When did you start in this business?

I started a vegetable production in 1983, on one third of the family farm, which has about sixty hectares and dates back to my grandparents. My grandfather and father grew crops and bred stock on the farm, with some market garden produce, notably asparagus. I grew my first tomatoes at age 7, taught by my grandmother who was a qualified botanist. Ever since then, my fascination for plants has remained intact.
I began at first by diversifying into vegetable crops sold by a cooperative from Lectoure. I had worked in Canada beforehand, on a farm that grew broccoli. After that I did a long trip through the USA before coming back to the Gers department.

How did you develop the business ?

Once I got back to France, I grew broccoli on four hectares and sweet corn, which I used to sell in Toulouse. Then I produced eggplants and string beans. I worked the farm on my own at the time. In the mid-eighties, I went up to Rungis and started selling part of my production to a banner that was known for its upmarket products. I sold broccoli and sweet corn as well as green baby squash. The line then expanded to include mini-vegetables such as yellow baby squash, mini long zucchini, mini-eggplant and mini-bell pepper. For the first five years, I had short crop cycles with direct cultivation, before installing the first greenhouses (PVC cover), about twelve years ago, so I could start earlier in spring and end later in the season. Before that, I had a large market for mini vegetables with a Danish wholesaler who used to supply a certain number of cruise liners. However, after September 11, cruises became very rare and this market more or less disappeared. After that I found a large caterer from the North of France who supplied the Belgian and British catering trade. Actually, it was at their request that I started producing heirloom tomatoes in 2004, with about eight lovely varieties like Cœur de bœuf, Andine cornue, Rose de Berne, Green zebra, Ananas, Noire de Crimée, Yellow lemon, San manzarno, etc. I also supply a German banner that has a policy of working with small, upmarket producers.

What is your production ?

Right now, my market garden crops cover about three hectares. I don’t grow organic produce, but I do practice “reasonable” integrated agriculture, with direct cultivation under cover.  This includes heirloom tomatoes, mini vegetables and Chinese okra. I am about to start cultivating five or six other heirloom tomato varieties to expand my line and meet the demand from my clients.

I also produce several heirloom eggplant varieties, like Violeta di Firenze, Rotonda Bianca and Skoutari. Heirloom tomatoes and mini vegetables offer us maximum savours today. I am also in touch with the seed merchants and traders who specialize in heirloom vegetable varieties. That is how I ended up growing a certain amount of Italian shell beans called Borlotto, for a major Paris banner. Farming conditions here are good, but to sell you have to go to Paris. I am effectively a producer of upmarket “niche” products that are too hard to sell locally because they are too expensive, except for some upmarket restaurants and regional banners. Furthermore, my volumes are necessarily lower with few plants per square metre to preserve an excellent quality.
Generally speaking, my production is split (in value) between two-thirds mini vegetables and one third tomatoes. My mini vegetable production is composed for a large part of Cucurbitaceae and the competition mainly comes from South Africa in this niche. I sell 55% of my production at Rungis, 25% to upmarket Paris and regional banners and 20% abroad. I am in a growing market but it is still limited to a certain clientele because of the cost of the produce. And in matters of price, you have to be reasonable to maintain correct flows. My development is geared towards new crops and new distribution channels today.

What do you think of Rungis Market ?

It’s simple, if Rungis no longer existed, I would go out of business. In fact, I sell 55% of my production to an operator known for its upmarket products. I am very satisfied with Rungis because it is a wonderful showcase and all ranges and trends are represented there.