8. The lands of possibilities
Odile Fabrègue et Christian Varin, Ferme Ahalen Lurrak
Farmers, they designed and sponsored this garden.
The lands of possibilities - place des Quinconces, July 2021 © madd-bordeaux
These planters reflect the diversity and the complementarity of the Ahalen Lurrak Farm varieties, created by Odile Fabrègue and Christian Varin in Oneix in the French Basque Country. Ahalen Lurrak (“the lands of possibilities” in Basque) is a five-hectare of woods, meadows, fruit trees, Galloway cattle, donkey, ewes and market gardening farm. When Odile and Christian invest in this place on the valley floor, it is covered with brambles. To encourage biodiversity, they sow, prick out, plant, harvest and collect seeds: one hundred and seventy-eight varieties of vegetables are cultivated and more than fifty varieties of tomatoes constitute an ecosystem in harmony with the living. The river, la Joyeuse, flows below and irrigates the ground thanks to a solar pump. Some cultivations are in a big mobile greenhouse, close to the greenhouse of seedling which is warmed up during winter by the breath of the ewes.
The lands of possibilities regularly welcome journeymen, students and trainees, to whom Odile and Christian are keen to pass on their savoir-faire. Their model is based on an accurate scale: a balance between the area under cultivation and the sale at the marketplace. The farm is economically viable thanks to its systemic global approach.
June 2021 © madd-bordeaux
June 2021 © madd-bordeaux
This garden is maintained by the association Les Incroyables Comestibles (Incredible Edible).
Initially from England, Incredible Edible is a citizens’ participative movement of the common good – global, independent, completely apolitical and non-commercial – also human, ethical and united, that recognises the unity of life and humankind and is jointly responsible. The movement is motivated by the ideal of feeding humanity in a healthy way for humans and the planet, locally, sufficiently, joyfully and by respecting the dignity of everyone.
http://lesincroyablescomestibles.fr/
The tags of the planters were made by primary schools children of Bordeaux.
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