Jean-Michel, seed multiplier in Haute-Vienne

In the small hamlet of "au delà de la rivière", situated in the greenery of the Haute-Vienne department, on the border with the Creuse department and within the perimeter of the Parc Naturel Régional de Millevaches en Limousin, a cultural association, livestock farming, market gardening and seed production enliven the large renovated manor house, the farmhouse and the 50 hectares or so of land where Jean-Michel has been working for many years. The sound of cymbals and the regular mooing of the Limousin cows from the GAEC des champs libres, who are always hoping to find greener grass in the next field, accompany the market gardener and seed producer on a daily basis. Here, everything is shared. The farm's common room is where meals are served; the seed drying and sorting shed is then used to store group-purchased products, before becoming the cattle shed in winter. In the spring, all the manure is spread under tarpaulins for composting, and so the cycle begins again, with linked activities allowing a harmony of polyculture-livestock farming.

It's hardly surprising, then, when the bell rings to signal the morning coffee break, to see all the field workers join the large dining room and, while nibbling on a few cakes and giving news of their main sector, take part in the shelling of dozens of crates of beans for canning. The fruits from which Jean-Michel extracted and harvested the seeds are given a second life in Corinne's processing workshop. A large communal bain-marie and an old autoclave sterilizer await tomatoes, sweet peppers and onions for wonderful piperades, preserves and coulis. "The worry was the year we only had green tomatoes to produce for seed. Nobody wanted our green ratatouille," laughs Jean-Michel, comparing the colors of the many shelves in the cellar. This year, with our 130 kgs of "Orange Queen", we've added a few red tomatoes for market gardening. "Pistous, peppers in oil and berry juices complete Corinne's range, with its attractive personalized labels.

"A few years ago, we had another farm attached to the GAEC, so we could choose our varieties and manage our isolation. We used to grow zucchinis here, pâtissons there... Gherkins there, to make cucumbers here... Now that we've rented to young market gardeners who are setting up, I only do something with the fruit if it's possible. The important thing is to grow good seeds. "And given the amount of surplus production his plants provide, Jean-Michel doesn't seem to have much to worry about. As a result, he can afford to look for quality: "With parsnips, I only pick the seeds from the primary umbels, because they're the best... The aim of the plant is also to make the most beautiful seed possible. I just pick it up with the stem and let the sap rise with the heat to finish ripening the seeds. "

Each time we meet a new variety, Jean-Michel gives us all the information we need, without even thinking about it, about its growth, its difficulties, its annual forecasts and so on.visions of each of them, we'd like to be able to discover the whole of the probably fascinating career of this discreet grower, who has been offering the fruits of his labor every year since 1996. "When I became a market gardener, the varieties I was interested in weren't available with AB certification. The seeds I found were stained with phyto-sanitary products. I enrolled in a biodynamic seed production course and started producing seeds. I regularly use rock powder in the compost, prepare dung (500), rotate by type of vegetable...".

Despite all his knowledge, Jean-Michel continues to question the living world. As he stares into the eyes of the "Sweet Painted Hills" maize, which gradually straightens out after a strong gust of wind, he remains perplexed: "I'm still amazed by certain things... How can we explain the cellular tension capacity of maize that has been subjected to lodging?..." Although he hasn't studied the many biological phenomena involved, he observes them every day and learns, alongside nature, how to accompany it in its production right up to the seed. You can't help but admire the grower's methods: when he runs his tractor over turnip and radish pods to extract the seed, or when he carefully detaches the faded flowers of the "Jewel Mix" nasturtium to help it go to seed...

As the bell warns the workers that the GAEC's good produce is ready to give them strength for the afternoon, Jean-Michel skirts the lot of 8 greenhouses, reaches the small raspberry patch in the center of the buildingsthe center of the buildings, and lets himself be brushed by the parent swallows busily feeding their five little heads, low to the ground, protruding from the earthen nests securely fastened to the beams of the Champs Libres sales area. This is the image we'll keep of Jean-Michel, very calm and thoughtful, taking off his boots to join his associates and employees around the large communal table. The image of a producer who, over the years, has created a collective dynamic at the heart of which biodiversity flourishes more and more each season.