Market gardening to expand workforce development

An area for the discovery of the flora and for education in environmental conservation for school children, as well as a multimedia activity: Association d'Insertion par Activités Multiples - AIPPAM - has been working for ten years in the two communities of the Elbeuf and Rouen built-up areas to propose interesting and diversified back-to-work projects to minimum wage recipients. Thirty persons are employed on subsidized contracts on the environment program and 14 on the multimedia program.

To expand these choices and to foster the acquisition of other types of knowhow, it has decided to create a vegetable garden, with the aim of selling vegetables grown there to the public.

Home deliveries for those who have trouble getting around

On the 1500 m² plot of arable land provided by the commune of Freneuse, AIPPAM plans to grow hothouse and open air crops. On the principle set up in particular by the Jardins de Cocagne network, the vegetables will be sold to individuals in the form of weekly baskets, with the possibility of home deliveries for elderly and handicapped persons. Staffed by the team already working on the environment project, the employees who will be hired for this new cooperative garden will receive vegetables for their own consumption, in exchange for a token contribution.

The Veolia Foundation was approached to help AIPPAM acquire the equipment (and especially the hothouses) required to start this new activity. Apart from market gardening, beehives will be positioned on the land. When the operation is running normally, it will also be able to welcome schoolchildren for environmental education.