Aurore A.

"Nestled between hills and valleys, streams and tall trees, the farm is located on the foothills of the Plantaurel massif, at the gateway to the Pyrenees. Over a hundred hectares of fields, meadows and forests, it is home to 2 biodynamic farming enterprises: one for market gardening and one for breeding 8 cows, 30 goats and 40 ewes, all dairy, for the production of all kinds of dairy products.

On the Portecluse estate, a whole little world is active in all directions: cows in the green grass, market gardeners pulling and pushing wheelbarrows laden with vegetables from the fields, goats perched on the rocks, herdersleveurs s'afferent sur les clôtures ou dans la fromagerie, brebis sur les coteaux, enfants jouant dans la cour d'école, cochons fouiner sous les chênes...

Farm life here is rich and varied: orchards, beehives, support for trainees, occasional educational visits by children from the school on the estate, and so on.

In 2012, by making a donation to Terre de Liens, we wished to perpetuate the dual vocation of this site: both agricultural and educational. The essence of the project is therefore to strengthen the links between these two components to make Portecluse a place of life at the service of human development and free from all speculation.

Coming into contact with market gardening made me want to delve even deeper into the plant world, to let the plant complete its cycle and share its seeds with us. Discovering a huge eggplant, a cucumber ready to burst, and zucchini that had become as hard as squash aroused the curiosity of the farm's inhabitants. The schoolchildren took part in some of the extractions. In fact, this project on the farm appealed to us all and brought us together! I experienced the boost of extraction from September to November, I observed children harvesting wildflower seeds for Kokopelli, I became aware of the stress of the long season and the bad weather, and I loved it all! All the plants I've grown have enabled me to get to grips with them, gain confidence and discover a profession I'm becoming increasingly passionate about!

My favorite varieties: the flowers! Zinnia, poppies, marigolds, etc., for the colors in the garden, the profusion of animals that wander, forage and reproduce there... It's full of life, it's joyful and it's beautiful!"