2.5.2. Direct Distribution, Organic Lamb and Lentils
Short Schedule Farm description Start point/Challange
Farm/Company
Name: EARL de Porteli Web site: E-mail:earl_de_porteli@orange.fr
Place
Country: FRANCE Region: AQUITAINE City: La sauvetat sur Lède (47)
Product Type
Organic lamb and lentils
Reference year
2000
Successful elements Output/Effects
Organic Agriculture – Certifications Direct Distribution – Added Value Quality Products Markets – Farmers’ Markets
Key Words
Why is the topic interesting?
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Re-orientating production to be able to directly distribute a finished product instead of selling live sheep to the transformation sector Converting to organic agriculture Maximizing value of dry legumes Heavy presence at the local markets
Farm Description EARL de Porteli is a family run business specializing in organic agriculture, of the size of 85 ha, and run by Didier and Sylvie Simard. Half of the surface area is devoted to cereals and legumes (wheat, triticale, barley, horse beans, and lentils); the other half consists of fallow fields and woods used for raising lambs for their meat (180 mothers).
Direct distribution
One-third of the cereal is commercialized through the Agribio Union co-op. The remainder serves as food for the sheep; and the lentils are commercialized through direct distribution. Lambs are sold as young as 5 months old, directly to consumers. The farm has a carving facility and a cold room, which allows the carcasses to be processed as soon as they return from the slaughterhouse, located in Villeneuve-sur-Lot. Commercialization is realized: - On the farm to individuals (a standard clientele of around 200) - At organic markets from Easter through September (one market per week at Villeneuve-sur-Lot, two markets per month at Agen) - At the organic fairs of Bazens, Laparade, and Horizon Vert (Green Horizons) in Villeneuve - At the summer night-markets (weekly or occasional)
Lentils
For lentils (in packets of 0.5 and 1.0 kg): - In just over 20 stores (not necessarily organic-only) - At other farms - On the Internet
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Direct Distribution, Organic Lamb and Lentils
Start Point Farm description Start point/Challange Successful elements Output/Effects
RECALL!
Investments = 12,000 €
1985: Didier begins to work for his parents in GAEC (400 sheep, truck farming, full-time job, much work, and little revenue) 1997: Sylvie starts to work in EARL with Didier, whose parents have retired. Sylvie brings fresh ideas. Growing both, fruits and vegetables, was difficult; so they decide to put an end to the strawberry and tomato production in order to raise more reasonably the herd of sheep. 2000: Didier is trained in organic agriculture and signs a CTE, which allows him to make the necessary changes to convert to organic farming. The objective is clear: stock cereal (triticale, barley, and soy), feed the lambs and sheep, and maximize profit. To do this, they rapidly shift to selling at the departmental markets and invest in appropriate material: carving chamber, cold room, and portable refrigerated display case. They train themselves in cutting meat and in commercialization. They work alone. 2009: Their entire mutton production is sold through direct distribution. They are running tests on stocking lentils to be able to sell them directly.
Sheep in the field
Challenge Sell all of the production (120 lambs and 7 ha of lentils per year) through direct distribution. Work without hired help Utilize tourist hot-spots when deciding upon markets in which to participate: the Chamber of Agriculture has set-up a chart for the Country Producers’ Markets. These markets are frequented, in majority, by people on vacation; and their number (the markets’), over the last ten years, has only been on the rise. The use of Internet sites that re-group farm products in order to sell lentils
Carving chamber
Glossary CTE: contrat territorial d’exploitation (land-use contract) CIVAM: Centre d’Initiatives pour Valoriser l’Agriculture et le Milieu rural (Initiative Center to Valorize Agriculture and the Rural World) GAEC: Groupement Agricole d’Exploitation en Commun (Agricultural Group of Common Practice) EARL: Exploitation agricole à responsabilité limitée (Agricultural venture of limited responsibility)
Creating an Open-House even 2
Direct Distribution, Organic Lamb and Lentils
Success elements Farm description Start point/Challange Successful elements Output/Effects
Partners’ Logos
Organic agriculture
On the sales level: - Sylvie has a business background - Good relations between the producers and the clientele - No real competition (for the same product) - Membership to the Country Producers’ Markets - Presence at numerous local markets - Sales training received by Sylvie from the Chamber of Agriculture - Constant price (price remains the same at various locations and markets) On a product level: - Organic certification - No loss (less demanded cuts are barbecued and sold at the nightmarkets) - Training for meat carving On the farm level: - No birthing during the period of commercialization - Grain quality thanks to a sorting machine at harvest and good ventilation - Presence of a processing chamber and a cold room - Member of Civam Agrobio of the Lot-et-Garonne department On an advertising level: - Presence of the ‘Organic’ label - Flyers distributed at markets - Business cards - Photo albums depicting the farm to customers
Association for organic farmers
Country Producers’ Markets
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Direct Distribution, Organic Lamb and Lentils
Output/Effects Farm description Start point/Challange Successful elements Output/Effects
Results: - Less intermediaries - Better product valorization - Customer contact - Herd balance attained However: There is much work and no vacation! Future Goals: - Commercialize other dry legumes: chick-peas, vetch, etc. - Reduce cereal production: keep only the amount necessary for feeding - Increase grazing ground surface area for the animals’ comfort - Ameliorate fencing (timesaver)
CASE STUDY END…
...an end is always a new start...
Discussion Questions/Remarks
Further investigations 2 sites where one can sell lentils http://www.paysan.fr/ http://www.com3pom.fr/ presentation by the Chamber of Agriculture http://www.bioaquitaine.com/index2.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_view&gid=213&Itemid
CONCLUSION This small farm is viable through marketing facilitated by the use of networks (association of organic farmers, Country Producers’ Markets), using the skills of producers (sale and cutting meat training). However, we must consider additional activities (range of pulses larger) and do not overlook the heavy workload.
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