After a few days, the short and local connections materialize with the opening of two shops of producers from the Haut-Marnais. One in Bar-sur-Aube with “Ca m’botte” and the other in Langres with “Esprit paysan”. The general idea is to centralize as many local products as possible to satisfy customers.
With “Ca m’botte”, Haute-Marne takes over the Aube
At the beginning of November, the production shop “Ça m’botte” in Bar-sur-Aube was officially opened. It brings together eight partners, including four from Haut-Marne, but also 60 collaborators, including a good half of the department.
In the presence of everything that matters in terms of institutions (prefecture, departmental council, regional council, local action group, agricultural chamber, etc.), Pierre Cuvier opened the Bar-sur-Aube producers’ shop “Ça kicks me “. He is the president of the simplified joint-stock company and immediately honors the eight partners who make it up, the three employees, including an apprentice, and the sixty farmers who bring their produce. “Without them, nothing would be possible.”
Pierre Cuvier talks about an increasingly complete range that will continue to expand. Everything is set up in a shop where layout, functionality and lighting have been thought through. “It expresses seasonality, freshness and our senses.”
Behind this successful project, Pierre Cuvier recalls “several years of work” with, since the spring of 2018, rapprochement with the community of municipalities in the Bar-sur-Aube region. Through this grower shop, it was about working on the appeal of the area, offering a wide range of products in one place to consumers and allowing the farms to remain viable and transferable.
For Pierre Cuvier, “the big job was to unite a group in the absence of cohesion between Aubade and Haute-Marne”. The Chamber of Agriculture was a key element in finding producers to diversify the range. It started with a radius of 5 km around Bar-sur-Aube, then, depending on the farmers’ commitments, the radius was extended.
This approach, as well as feasibility studies, estimates and other preliminary budgets, were carried out with the greatest transparency, as was the choice of location, Boulevard Général Leclerc, in the commercial area and with access to parking.
Immediately, Pierre Cuvier emphasizes “the basic agreement between manufacturers and artisans to pass these stages”. He thinks about working with the Gaston Bachelard high school for the sales aspect, with the ADMA of Haute-Marne and its 70 producers and obviously the eight associates. Haute-Marne is represented by Adrien Richard (poultry), Flory Devilliers (duck and soup), Samuel Aubrey (pigs) and Magali and Benjamin Sánchez (vegetables).
Alain Bullard, president of the Aube Chamber of Agriculture, highlighted the iconic nature of “this superb local initiative”. For him, it trumps territory, proximity to producers, short circuits and local food. Philippe Piccheri, president of the departmental council, wanted to support this initiative, even if it was not within his competence. “It is where the society and life of tomorrow are built at a time when everything is changing.” This store is the first of its kind for a residential area of 15,000 residents.
The rural spirit will be blowing in Saints-Geosmes on November 15
On November 15, the production store “Esprit paysan” will open its doors in the shopping area of Saints-Geosmes. Farmers in the sector offer thousands of listings so consumers can find everything there.
“Collect as many products as possible in our campaigns.” This is the announced goal of the “Spirit paysan” producer shop in Saints-Geosmes by Florent Cressault, president of SAS Paysans plateau de Langres.
There, customers will be able to find “almost the entire hostess basket.” Pork, poultry, cattle, vegetables, fruit, pasta, flour, oils, preserves, dairy products, eggs, jams, fruit juices, wines… a total of one thousand listings from an area ranging from Langres to Saint-Dizier.
Thirty farmers are involved in the production of their produce and 19 of them are directly linked to SAS. They will take turns in the center island of the store so that “customers can put a face to the products on offer”. According to Camille Jeaugey, site manager, they will be able to give advice, explain production methods, answer questions.
Originally from Champigny-les-Langres, the daughter of a farmer, Camille Jeaugey has a BTS in Business Administration and was brought up to “consume local”. At 23, she sees a great opportunity in supporting products made in Haute-Marne. It will be on the side of the farmers who have to take over “their project, their shop”. For her, “it’s important to see customers and respond to a wider service area.”
Florent Cresso does not hide that the construction of the site has suffered some dangers. It was necessary to create the SCI carrying the building, but above all he was the project manager with all the problems this gave rise to.
But he says: “We are lucky that we ordered the materials before they increased. Today the main problem is that of supplies such as the main circuit breaker which has just arrived”. The other possibility for this project is to benefit from the support of the Federation of Departmental Milk Producers for the administrative aspects.
After all, little time passed between the first shovel in March and the opening of the site on November 15. Florent Cressault continues: “now it’s up to the partners to play.” As for Camille Jeaugey, she will be able to rely on a butcher and cashier who are employed by a group of employers. Each producer pays them according to their employment.
They will all work in a “chic and elegant” space in a combination of wood, concrete and black to showcase the products. The shelves were custom made by a local company in Grangey-le-Château. They want to be natural and warm.
Florent Cressot finally challenges the appeal of families to short circuit. It has been great during the health crisis and after consulting with other stores of the same type in Belfort or Vesoul, he says, “the convinced remain true.” He relies heavily on traceability and commitment: “for equal or higher quality, the prices will not be higher than in supermarkets.”
Frederic Thevenin
f.thevenin@jhm.fr