Seed multiplication producers in Ardèche

20 minutes south of Annonay, the Ay River patiently flows along granite paths, trying to refresh the green Ardèche, which is tinged with arid hues. The hamlet, tucked away in a small valley in the Ardèche foothills, no longer offers enough greenery for the Alpine goats of owner Marie. The inhabitants, many young people with a variety of activities - beer brewer, carpenter, wwoofers and our famous seed multiplying producers - seek the cool shelter of the stone walls. Julien, Marie's son, and his partner Kevin, are waiting for the sun to subside before returning to the fields. It has to be said that the fauna buried in the sandy soil, just a few centimetres from the granite, also seems to be taking a forced siesta. "We've mulched all the crops with straw from the baker next door to make up for the lack of water," explains Kevin, showing us a Navajo Winter watermelon that's struggling to show its nose. "This is the first year that the lake's spring has dried up, and we have to make choices. "This year's drought coincides with the launch of Kevin and Julien's seed business. They remain hopeful, however, and hope to draw lessons from these experiences for their future organization.

"We plan not to work the soil any more, just to put down a green manure in the autumn and mulch a lot.We're also going to save only the seeds of acclimatized plants. "We're going to offer special 'drought' plants," laughs Kevin. Judging by the splendor of the "Red Faro" quinoa, this seems quite possible. "I'm also going to stop market gardening. I think it's better for me to devote myself totally to this new activity, because the two of us motivate each other and complement each other. "

It's true that when you see the number of plates set up under the arbour in the communal area, waiting for the eggplant pizza to come out of the earthen oven, it's easy to see how much the boys' activity is appreciated by the hamlet's gourmets. "What I want is quality of life. I want to eat products for which I know all the growing conditions. I live in a yurt, which is exactly what I wanted when I left my more traditional life as an urban landscaper. "explains Kevin. As for Julien, a former carpenter, he's a new father and wants to reconcile family life with farming. They're enjoying the river for a while, because soon they'll be diving into the great unknown: harvesting and sorting seeds. For the moment, only the "Roses" cornflowers rest on large racks, regularly disturbed by the bursting of the "Carming King" California poppies in the kraft bags. "Before that, we harvested the 'Opal Creek' Sweet Peas. Soon, everything will arrive at the same time, so we're going to build a special Kokopelli mezzanine in the shed", laughs Kévin.

For both of them, everything has happened so fast that they don't seem to realize it yet. Kévin, who had come to the hamlet on a wwoofing trip, was offered the chance to take over the market garden. He accepted and, three years later, was offered the opportunity to produce seeds for Kokopelli. He proposed the idea to his friend Julien, who accepted the challenge enthusiastically, as he admired his grandfather's gardens, which were free of any external products or inputs. Fortunately, the boys were able to finance the installation of the watering system thanks to the generous donations of Internet users interested in their project during a "crowfunding" campaign. They are also supported in their launch by numerous friends and wwoofers, also motivated by agricultural autonomy.

The hamlet is a place of exchange. Kevin doesn't hesitate to share his unsuspected discoveries, such as the alternation of rows of garlic with rows of potatoes.Julien, for his part, has convinced his grandmother Colette to mulch his crops to protect them from the heat. Soon, when the boys are fully up to speed, free workshops will open their doors to showcase their seed production and multiplication techniques. "You must come and see us again next year. The garden will be a thousand times more beautiful," the boys smile, before leaving us on the other side of the greenhouse's insect screen. It's evening watering time for the "Vietnamese" Perillas, which seem to thank them with the tips of their leaves.