Farming in summer and woodcutting in winter

"Armed with its success and its reputation, the association nevertheless closely analyses its projects to advance even further. It has already filed an application to obtain forest plots to have its own wood for the boiler. And got what it asked for."

Romain Jonnard

Every week, baskets of organically grown vegetables are distributed to a network of members. They are the fruit of the labor of the integration agency Les Jardins du Montvaudois, installed in the Haute-Saône and managed by the Association pour le maintien et le développement des jardins d'Héricourt. Members of the Jardins de Cocagne network since 2001, the Jardins du Montvaudois employs 15 persons under an integration contract, staffed by five full-time employees.

These men and women, having been distanced for years from the working world, benefit from social and psychological accompaniment during their integration contract aimed to enable them to return to a working life. The association, which is solidly established locally, wants to evolve further.

Developing a winter activity

The current project will help to improve the production, storage, conservation of the vegetables, as well as the working conditions of all the employees. The investment program calls for the purchase of irrigation and weeding equipment, and the construction of thermally insulated premises. This improvement will be beneficial for the long-term storage of the vegetables and will serve to install a wood burning boiler to heat the premises and supply hot water.

In addition, the association has signed an agreement with the town hall of Héricourt, the Office national des forêts, and the community of communes of the Héricourt country. Its aim is to develop a new activity in woodcutting and upkeep of forest and communal trails. The woodcutting, carried out in winter, a quiet season for kitchen gardening, will give the association the wood it needs to supply the boiler. The surplus will be sold to the membership network.