Enables aspiring farmers to test an organic farming project on a full-scale basis

Established in 2016, the Etamine agricultural testing facility enables aspiring farmers to experiment with organic farming projects on a full-scale basis while significantly reducing financial risks. We provide both personal and technical support to the testers.

All reports, analyses, and studies highlight, with supporting data, the severity of the demographic and social crisis facing the agricultural sector. Everyone agrees that without welcoming new socio-professional groups and creating new pathways to becoming a farmer, we will face immense difficulties in addressing all the societal challenges projected onto the agricultural sector.

We provide both personal and technical support to these aspiring entrepreneurs in order to:

• - test the technical and economic feasibility of their project;
• - assess their ability to manage one or more activities and the resulting marketing;
• - strengthen their know-how and technical skills;
• - ensure alignment between their personal life goals and their professional aspirations;
• - test their vision against real-world conditions.

To achieve this, we rely on the Business Project Support Contract (CAPE), which is signed between the project leader and our regional incubator, Starter (which we collectively administer), which serves as the project’s legal host. The trial period lasts up to three years. 

At the end of this trial period, participants can either bring their project to fruition by starting their business or decide to abandon it.

We provide project leaders with a permanent testing space at the Ferme des Millets in the town of Ouches. This 13-hectare organic farm can accommodate two diversified market gardening projects on small plots with living soils, as well as a project for raising poultry, sheep, and/or goats. This farm is equipped with, among other things, 2 tractors, 4 greenhouses, a sheepfold, a cold storage room, and many other facilities made available to project leaders for the duration of their trial.

To date, we have supported 23 project leaders, 12 of whom have established their operations, while 4 are currently in the testing phase and seeking land. All supported projects were small-scale farms with strong local ties and exclusive local marketing. They have all obtained their AB (organic farming) certifications. 

Etamine is currently hosting 6 entrepreneurs on a trial basis:

• At Ferme des Millets (Ouches):
  • One spot available for vegetable farming
  • One spot available for small ruminant livestock
• In the town of Arcinges: Julie and Théo in donkey milk production and processing into cosmetics
• In the town of St. Priest la Prugne: Quentin in PAM production
• In the town of Chérier: Vincent, a farmer-baker