Yves‘ dream of an AMAP
Isn't it a bit crazy to leave a 40-hour job for an 80-hour week when you're in the prime of your life? Maybe it is. But thanks to his «Vum Gréis» farm, Yves Diederich is delighting 110 families around Berchem with fresh vegetables and a mini zoo for the children. Compared with large farms, he grows many varieties on a small area. The result is an extremely hardy ecological structure that uses less water and attracts fewer pests. The work, which is exclusively manual, is financed by the solidarity farming model and financial contributions from the families.
Is this model financially viable?
I was lucky enough to take over my grandparents' farmland. Otherwise, I wouldn't have dared such a reconversion. Unfortunately, I can't really make a living from it yet. I currently employ a gardener and an apprentice. More government support for solidarity farming would undoubtedly make it possible to feed the whole country. Food could then be provided by more small-scale structures. What's more, consumers need to change their habits and spend most of their budget on food. That's what my customers are doing. It gives us hope.