Mathieu, seed multiplier in Lot-et-Garonne

In the hollow of the rocky mountains of eastern Agenais, in the commune where, according to Latin and Occitan etymology, witches once gathereda great protective totem rises above Lac de Lartel, alongside peregrine falcons and ravens nesting in the rocky escarpments. It took nothing less than a breathtaking landscape to keep an avid traveler like Mathieu on his toes, and find him at any time of day contemplating nature's offerings.

"Wherever I go, the earth nourishes me on many levels, offering me sustenance and anchorage. So I decided to settle here to put down my roots. Since I arrived 8 years ago, I've been building and building. "Mathieu gradually built a wooden shed at his own pace, then renovated the old stone ruin on the land and, little by little, expanded his vegetable garden, which has become what we see today: a harmony of trees and plantations: spaghetti squash clinging to hazelnut branches, honey locusts zigzagging between ocas and millets and tomato beds decorated with little green notes of basil and sheltered by almond trees.

"It all clicked one day when I remembered that my grandmother, a very good gardener, had given me a leek flower full of seeds. It was a sign," he laughs, as he protects the cabbage plants placed in buckets of compressed wood shavings from the restless paws of his five cats. Long accustomed to Paris's noisy allotments and rooftop beehives, Mathieu discovers the peace of silence every day in this isolated spot. "I have a tractor, but the more time goes by, the noisier I find it. I prefer to aerate the soil with my grelinette, in communion with nature. "He is then proud to offer gently tilled soil to the beets, carrots and turnips that will join the winter vegetable garden. He has also chosen the authentic over the modern, setting the notches on an early 20th-century seed drill for his corn, beans and soybeans.

The grower is aware that the difficulties associated with stony soils are first and foremost constraints on the plants themselves. "I don't think I can benefit from the farmers' knowledge, which I feel has been lost with the arrival of new farming methods. So I prefer observation and patience. Everything I do makes sense to me. "The crops are protected from the numerous assaults of small forest dwellers by elm ramparts. They are fed with spring water, the purity of which has been certified by Natura 2000 zone analysis offices, ensuring the survival of newts and the famous white-clawed crayfish. They are also cared for thanks to the presence of comfrey, horsetail and nettle near the stream feeding the lake.

Mathieu is not alone in finding inspiration in the beauty of this nourishing land. Nadia, a former seed producer from the other side of the lake, also fell in love with the landscape. Since her departure, a new rural and agricultural dynamic has been initiated by the Tera citizens' association around the creation of a self-sufficient eco-village. These converging energies are spreading a spirit of peace and prosperity all around Lac de Lartel, in which Mathieu feels at home.