European LEADER Awards projects

Austria

Introduction

In the municipality of Gaflenz, a unique local supplier (primary care) has emerged in the form of a hybrid market (with specific focus on local and regional products with a share of 35% on assortment) in the town center. Hybrid market means, that there is personal service and self service temporary (focus on off peak times)!  

The project concept goes far beyond classic retail, as a combination of different services has been created (Café, public outdoor pool buffet, shopping outside opening hours, postal service, paper good store) 

By means of a citizens’ cooperative, the project is supported in a long-term and diverse way oriented on smart village aspects (financing among others by crowdfunding, form of operation -cooperative, member loyalty, stimulation of village center, create a social meeting point within the community, using infrastructure synergies – parking spot, supply infrastructure). 

Presentation of the project

The project is located in the center of a small village in the South of Upper Austria, which is called “Gaflenz”. In this location life about 2000 inhabitants. It´s a real rural area und the village is famous for it´s lively voluntary club life. So, the main challenges are the handling of generally emigration tendencies, to keep a high life quality in the village, to motivate citizens to engage and especially to maintain local food supply and self-sufficiency. 

in Upper Austria. 

As it occurs that the last local supplier within the village tended to close down his business, the village community got active. They decided to prolong the local supply with regional groceries and products of everyday use, because they wanted to keep life quality in the community. Therefore, they founded a local cooperative to run the initiative, to create identity and longterm participation as well as future frequency for the coming local supply business. Another advantage of this strong local cooperative has been the possibility und the need to gain financial support to get over high investment in project. After forming this cooperative community they realized a huge exertion in planning, experience exchange, raise money, discussion/coordination and finally implementation of an very innovative format of local supply. 

Objectives 

• Maintaining/increasing the quality of life in Gaflenz (future investment) by increasing the attractiveness of the place as a residential, economic, recreational and living space 
• Maintaining/improving the quality of local supplies in the community of Gaflenz (infrastructure, range, availability of regional products) with special focus on target groups (elderly people, young people, full time workers, especially women) by accessibility round the clock and localization of shop in the village center  
• revitalizing the town center and creating a social meeting place in Gaflenz (social cohesion, identity) and bundling infrastructure to use synergies and minimize soil/space consumption 
• Raising awareness of local suppliers, strengthening personal responsibility, retaining purchasing power in the local area and creating new/expanded income opportunities for local/surrounding (small) farmers and thus contributing to maintaining jobs or farms as a whole in the region 

Actual or expected outputs 

• realization of an innovative local supply store (size -200m² and additionally 100 m² of store; not included in LEADER but also built – 70 m² of bistro with 70 m² of integrated terrace). It offers a broad range of different products (foods as well as everday need with a share of at least 35% from local provenance and an unpacked station) and it operates as a hybride store (entrance and identification with credit card, self-service times on weekends and off -peak times, surveillance system, self-service scanner and payment system) 
• at the moment citizens cooperative is holding x members an it is still growing, they managed to contribute an amount of € 75.000,- for investment 
• shop frequency is satisfactory und business runs economically 
• LENZ has established as a working village center meeting point 

LEADER has been a crucial factor of success within the project. Not only by giving financial support to the project owner, but also act as a coordination point/network to guarantee exchange of experiencies between best practice examples, give important thematic impulses and to be a reliable companion (financing, project management, …). Nevertheless – LEADER was an important aspect to increase quality und success within the project, as the project selection commitee demanded to run an « Agenda 21 process » just before starting the project to enhance community support.  

Emblematic character of the project

Why is this project a priority for LEADER in your strategy? 

The project « Lenz » is one of our showcase projects wihin LEADER initiative, because it supports our efforts to strengthen lifequality und citizen engagement (smart village approach) in the region in an innovative way (in the sense of technical, organizational and social innovation). Another strong objective within our LEADER region is to ensure local supply service as broad as possible in Nationalpark Kalkalpen area. So « Lenz Project » is one in a row of many new an fascinating formates in the local supply approach, which occured in the last period.  

The project addressed these challenges by building a strong community and created a new, innovative formate of local supply.  

Many other regions and initiatives has already gained informations and expériences from the project (excursions, lectures, experience exchange…) ! They are still ready to passa long informations an to give impulses to other initiatives ! 

Pictures

Start

Bürgergenossenschaft Genial-Regional-Gaflenztal eGenCooperative 

Leader Region Nationalpark OÖ Kalkalpen 

Austria

Austria

Introduction

How can communities benefit from their own cultural diversity? The answer is our following project ‘Tour of arriving’: Beginning in 2017 a lot of special projects in seven communities have been created: Mayors, local associations, voluntary refugee carers and immigrants worked in the areas of culture, education and art together. Beside those community specific projects, the project bearer developed an annual program to support exchange and networking. 

School workshops, theatres, information tours concerning profession and education, discussion tables about immigration, regional effects of the EU or about tourism is just a small cutout of the created result.  

In summary this project  

• brought different cultures together, 
• rejected prejudices,  
• developed perspectives for all people living in our area, 
• created a positive way of thinking about cultural diversity.

Presentation of the project

Tour of arriving 

Nowadays almost every community is confronted with the challenge of how to support immigrants in general and in the next step how to benefit from their own cultural diversity.  

This project started in 2017 for 7 communities of the Salzburger Saalachtal in Austria. Shortly after the start the refugee crisis came up. This was the reason why this project became even a lot more important than planned at the beginning and all the volunteers played a big role in supporting the communities to handle this problematic situation. 

But how did this support look like? 

On the one hand a lot of special community projects in the areas of culture, education and art were created. Within those projects mayors, local associations, voluntary refugee carers and immigrants worked together. In summary over 2.500 people met, discussed and experienced diversity in a positive way. Examples for those kinds of projects are: 

• workshops with schools, topics were racialism, extremism, radicalization and prejudices of immigrants 
• school exhibition and workshops about Anne Frank with 1.500 students 
• information tour about education and profession 
• discussion tables about immigration, tourism, etc. 
• discussions between politics and citizens about EU and its regional effects  
• networking between immigrants and citizens who have been new to the community a few years ago according to the motto ‘my way to this region’ 
• intercultural painting and theatre workshops 

On the other hand, an annual program was developed by the project bearer to support exchange and networking between all participants. For example: 

• there was an annual presentation of all projects and results (theatre performance, painting exhibition, etc.) 
• a film was created by a journalist from Syria together with a local filmmaker about all initiatives in 2017 

As a summary this was the right project about the right topic in the right place at the right time. The planned objects were outperformed by the positive effects of this project: 

• reunion of different cultures 
• support of local communities during the refugee crisis 
• reduction of prejudices, social anxiety and worries  
• perspectives for all people living in our region 
• a positive way of thinking about cultural diversity throughout all areas (mayors, citizens, regional managers, locals, immigrants, volunteers, etc.) 

Emblematic character of the project

Regarding our LEADER strategy this project fulfilled our aim ‘common good’ and was an important topic to our action plan : it aimed the integration of people and developed actions to support the community. Especially equal opportunity and the reduction of interhuman barriers have contributed to the success of this project. 

The innovative aspects of this project were : 

• the involvement, the networking and the development were implemented in a dynamic and flexible model 
• communities, organizations, associations and locals were involved and all participants were able to present their ideas, interests and support  
• immigrants were directly asked about their educational and cultural interests 
• networking meetings established an intercultural platform for regional development   

Remains to mention that this project and its concept was already established in one other LAG (Pongau, Salzburg).

Pictures

Salzburger Bildungswerk 

LEADER Saalachtal 

Saalachtal, Salzburg, Austria 

Austria

Introduction

How can two districts be connected by encouraging motor skills and motion? The solution is a motorikpark! 

24 exciting and very varied stations to encourage the motor skills have been built near to the river Saalach in the village of Saalbach. The stations combine on the on hand agility and fun and on the other hand the distracts ‘Jausern’ and ‘Saalbach’ with free entry.  

Presentation of the project

24 exciting stations based on a concept created by sports scientists have been built near to the river Saalach in the village of Saalbach (Salzburg Austria) to encourage the motor skills. Its length is about 3,5km.   

The stations combine on the on hand agility and fun and motivates people of all age groups to move and exercise and on the other hand it combines the distracts ‘Jausern’ and ‘Saalbach’ with free entry. 

The stations are so creative that it’s hard to describe, but maybe the following station names can offer a brief insight: 

• Spider web 
• Fishing 
• Kite surfing 
• Water skiing 
• Slalom 

It is used as popular destination by families, associations, school classes and also even by the retirement home nearby and professional athletes. With those unique and very varied stations which inspire really everyone to test their own agility skills the motorikpark should be a model for all future parks, trails, stations, etc. to be built in the region. 

Emblematic character of the project

This project supports our strategy in the point of common good: a meeting point to experience fun as a community was built and almost as an aside it is a basis to make two districts grow together.  

As it is with free entry and concepted for all age groups it fits perfectly to LEADER. 

 

Pictures

Other photos (©saalbach.com): 

BäderPark GesmbH Saalbach 

LEADER Saalachtal 

Saalachtal, Salzburg, Austria 

Austria

Introduction

This project created a community garden in the city center of Saalfelden. When you hear the word garden, you might think about a small area with a few flowers and maybe one tree – but this project was implemented on a field which has the plane of a soccer field and reminds more on a park as of a garden.  

In particular it is used by the children of the kindergarten located nearby, but it is also visited by school children and other groups on demand.  

The aim was that the children have a place in the nature to meet, play and learn the cycle of nature.

Presentation of the project

This project created a community garden in the city center of Saalfelden. When you hear the word garden, you might think about a small area with a few flowers and maybe one tree – but this project was implemented on a field which has the plane of a soccer field and reminds more on a park as of a garden. The new community garden consits of 

• various vegetables 
• berry bushes  
• ten fruit trees 
• a raised-bed garden 
• compost point  
• a garden house with garden tools 
• a possibility to reuse rainwater 
• a greenhouse 
• playground elements (swing, sandbox, podium) 
• seat possibilities 
• insect hotels 
• nest boxes 

In particular it is used by the children of the forest kindergarten located nearby. It supports their healthy development: experiencing the nature is now possible and the rythm of the garden year provides stability.  

Besides that they learn how to plant on their own, how to eat healthy and how to reproduce plants.  

So in summary the projects contributes to the important topics nature conservation (biodiversity and a green plane in an urban environment), climate protection, regional nutrition and a sensitive approach to raw materials.  

The garden is also visited by school children and other groups like neighbours, parents, grand-parents, associations and farmers who can teach the children details about gardening.   

The main focus of the project was that the children (who live there in an urban environment) have now a place in the nature to meet, play and learn the cycle of nature. 

Emblematic character of the project

This project contributed to our strategy in the aspects of common good in a very positive way: On the one hand it supports community and social experiences, on the other hand it forms the basis for a regional nutrition.  

The positive outcome of this project can motivate others to implement a community garden as well and there is already an idea of a following up project: creating a community field in cooperation with local farmers.  

Pictures

Association Bewegtes Lernen 

LEADER Saalachtal 

Saalachtal, Salzburg, Austria 

France

Introduction

The “Huguette The Power” project, the choir of the 3rd age that gives you a second youth, was born from the meeting of a major cultural player in the department, the association Au Foin de la Rue organising the eponymous festival, the local EHPAD with residents and health professionals, and finally a retro-actual music group “Mémé les Watts”. Together, they put together an incredible choir of around sixty “Huguettes”. Arnaud Ray, video artist and director, came to ‘catch’ moments of life and sharing with his camera during rehearsals and concerts, with a view to making a film lasting just a few minutes. It was so rich and intense that it ended up as a 52-minute documentary. To ‘sow the seeds’ and show that it can be done, the aim is to distribute it as widely as possible.

Presentation of the project

Under the impetus of Julie Aubry, a cultural mediator with the Au Foin de La Rue association, singing workshops are being organised in six EHPADs and one EDI (Espace de découverte et d’initiative) with Pierre Bouguier from the Compagnie des Arbres et des Hommes and singer with the group Mémé les Watts, with a view to setting up a choir of elderly people. The “Huguette The Power” project will give rise to another project, that of making a film about it. Sixty Huguettes make up the choir, work on their voices using a traditional repertoire and even compose a song, “le rap d’Huguette”. Arnaud Ray, the film-maker, follows Pierre Bouguier, the “conductor”, as he moves around the choir, filming all the moving moments. Footage of workshops, rehearsals, concerts, interviews with organisers, elderly people and other participants follows one another and is organised to highlight all the energy expended by some and rediscovered by others. The documentary highlights the importance of the social link and the fulfilment and well-being that this has brought to all these people. According to the filmmaker, “we had to go further than simply showing a shared pleasure. It was also a question of redefining what old age means, and showing the extent to which music awakens bodies and souls. Les Huguettes took to the stage for the first time at the Au Foin de la Rue festival on 2 July 2016. It was a real success! They all wanted to do it again, and the result was a second concert, this time supported by the CIAS de l’Ernée: Huguette The Power, again! on 22 January 2017 in Ernée, with resounding success. Demand was so great that the capacity had to be increased. The opportunity to show what our older members can do gives them a great deal of pride and fulfilment, it puts them in a position of talent and it’s very rewarding for them. The end of life is often a difficult time for families. “With this project, we’re turning it into a moment of joy, creating positive memories and even easing the bereavement process,” says Pierre Bouguier. The DVD was released in December 2017, following an initial screening at the Ernée cinema. Since its release, the documentary has been shown around fifty times in cinemas, vocational colleges, youth centres and training centres. That’s around fifty screenings in 10 départements for almost 5,000 people. It was then broadcast for the first time on television on France 3. In turn, the national media reported on this incredible adventure, and the Huguettes became real stars! LEADER support not only made it possible to finance the making of the documentary, from filming to communications, it also made it possible to get started. Without European funding, the film would not have been able to capture all the emotions felt during this incredible adventure. “This film has given them a rare and precious voice, and has touched its audience.

The emblematic character of the project

It is the issue of adapting services to the population that is central here. The “Huguette the power” documentary project is at the heart of a reflection on the services to be provided to elderly people in residential care homes, and in particular on the opportunity they have to take part in intergenerational and cultural projects that involve them in interaction with other players. This project is clearly aimed at helping elderly people in EHPAD to ‘age well’, and in particular at creating social links for this ‘fragile’ population. The project is innovative: the choir uses a repertoire of traditional songs as well as hip hop, creating links between the elderly and an audience at a contemporary music festival. The project has been identified at national level in the gerontology network as a completely new initiative in terms of the approach to elderly people in residential care homes: here they are given back their full place in society, they have a role to play, they come to see them in shows, at the cinema and so on. Les Huguettes will even be invited to perform at the Grand Rex in Paris, accompanied by around a hundred fans. The success of the choir was due in no small part to the commitment of the nursing and care staff at the EHPAD. The documentary highlights all the hard work put in by the staff. This project is a real success on all levels: human, health, social and cultural, and the broadcasting of this documentary, whose aim is to encourage other initiatives, has already led to the launch of a number of inclusive choirs, such as Germaine and the Kids and Les Janzettes.

Pictures

Compagnie Des Arbres et des Hommes

Haute Mayenne

Pays de La Loire

France

Introduction

Today, the Center de Formation et de Promotion des MFR des Garrigues du Pic Saint-Loup offers more than 10 training opportunities and 150 students each year for trades related to the Grand Pic Saint-Loup territory. The project began in 2016, with the association wishing to set up a Center for the Training and Promotion of LIMs in the Grand Pic Saint-Loup territory, which foreshadows the establishment of a Family and Rural House in order to offer training that meets the specific characteristics of the territory and the expectations of local stakeholders in terms of manpower. The training needs of the territory identified during this implementation phase are centered on the issue of short circuits and local products. It was decided to develop training courses in the fields of traditional and collective catering, organic wine and vegetable growing and product processing as a priority. Thus, a technical tray of professional educational cuisine was designed and set up at the MFR. Since January 2021, more than 60 apprentices have benefited from this training tool.

Presentation of the project

The project is located in Claret (34270) and has been presented in two phases.

1) Establishment of a Training and Promotion Center (CFP) for Rural Family Houses

In 2016, the association wanted to set up a Center for the Training and Promotion of LIMs in the Grand Pic Saint-Loup area, which would foreshadow the establishment of a Family and Rural House, in order to offer training that would meet the specific characteristics of the area and the labor expectations of local stakeholders.

Objectives:

– Strengthen the skills of young people in line with the current and immediate needs of the local economy;

– Provide a response to early school leaving;

– Promote the adaptability of the public in search of employment. In order to create this MFF, a job has been created to ensure the development of the association and to determine the training needs of the territory. In addition, the premises have been equipped (computers, interactive boards, …).

This project has enabled the creation of posts (task manager, senior action coordinator and a service

civic) and the implementation of the first training courses.

2) Installation of a technical tray for professional kitchen

The first phase of the project identified the training needs of the territory, focusing on the issue of short circuits and local products. It was hoped that training in the fields of traditional and collective catering, organic wine-growing and market gardening and product processing would be developed as a priority.

The second phase of the project therefore made it possible to design and set up a technical tray for professional educational cooking in the new building dedicated exclusively to the MFR. In addition to this technical platform, students have access to classrooms, a room for the application restaurant, and a boarding school.

Since January 2021, more than 60 apprentices have benefited from this training tool and 80% of them have found work following the training.

Prospects:

The short-term outlook is to develop specific training in community restoration in partnership with a group of holiday villages from September 2024 onwards.The long-term outlook is to offer short training modules on hygiene, short tours and ecology in the kitchen.

Leader’s role in the project:

The Leader’s role was paramount in this project. In the first stage, it made it possible to finance a post of mission officer to study the specificity of the territory, the needs for manpower and the possibilities of responding to the employment problem. In the second phase, it allowed the construction of a modern and adapted educational kitchen without which no training could have been given. This tool has been the starting point for certification authority applications and funding applications.

The emblematic character of the project

Innovative / emblematic character of the project:

It is a strong project on the territory that meets a political ambition and a need of the inhabitants.

The aim was to use the Leader as a tool to bring together job seekers and recruitment companies.

Link with LEADER strategy: The territory applied for the first time to the LEADER program for the 2014-2022 programming period. The SWOT analysis highlighted a weakness in the region: little vocational training and renewal of the economic fabric. One of the needs identified was to train in local job offers (adaptation/evolution), which resulted in a type of operation “Support for the implementation of training related to the local job offer” within Action Sheet 2 “Entrepreneurship and employability”. The creation of a new career path, in particular, and the promotion of the professions present in the Grand Pic Saint-Loup territory are expected effects of this action sheet.

Transfer to other LAGs:

There are more than 1000 million French francs in the world, 450 of which are in France but also at European level. They are grouped by federations. The partnership in Claret has already enabled neighboring territories to commit other LIMs such as those in Castillon du Gard and Uzès to the Uzège Pont du Gard LAG.

Experiences can be shared with territories that have a creative approach in relation to the needs of the territory, with an explanation of the methodology adopted.

Pictures

Website: http://www.mfr-garriguesdupicsaintloup.fr/

Cooking training in general: https://youtu.be/mRHlBCHtHrE

Vine training: https://youtu.be/HOlp2nW_xQc

Pro Title Training: https://youtube.com/shorts/uAhXL_vK1FQ?si=rSFhFUwYpYLg2UCq

CA cooking course: https://youtube.com/shorts/B2wLPqgtx_c?si=ReI2bOYB6-MoDfq6

Service Training: https://youtube.com/shorts/4X-AiUHg6_E?si=Lvya8x8rYhP3hfCz

Centre de Formation et de Promotion des MFR des Garrigues du Pic

Saint-Loup

Grand Pic Saint-Loup

Occitanie

France

Introduction

La Poirendeux is the story of Adrien and Margaux who, like many young Axonans, after high school, wanted to leave the countryside and go to make their life in the city… After having stayed in Lille for 10 years, both coming from commercial trades, they decide to return to the country with the will to support the agricultural sector through their contribution of skills in order to value the complex and exciting trades that are those of agricultural production. In 2021, they launched an online farmers’ market marketing local food products (Aisne, Oise, Somme and, more broadly, Hauts-de-France). After ordering on the site, consumers can pick up their orders at one of the 8 weekly collection points, which are run by themselves and are mostly located in rural areas, generally not well served by this type of platform. The idea is to create weekly meetings that are conducive to exchanges. An opportunity for them to be ambassadors for producers. La Poirendeux effectively brings its communication skills, producing different content promoting local products and know-how.

Presentation of the project

Margaux and Adrien’s project was born from the observation that it is sometimes difficult for consumers to understand the complexity of production jobs and to remember that behind a product, there are men/women and therefore social issues. Moreover, it is not always easy to consume local food and, above all, to tour the farms takes time. This logic also applies to producers, who do not always have the resources, networks and/or skills to ensure the distribution of their products, either through logistics (to go around the points of sale) or through communication (to make known their products). Combining Adrien’s significant logistical experience with Margaux’s creative and relational assets, the couple created a website that brings together local producers (selected according to their farming techniques and values) and highlights who they are and their work. This includes giving them the opportunity to benefit from better exposure thanks to the collective of producers, but also to provide simple and quick access to local food for consumers. When they left their jobs in October 2020 to devote themselves entirely to the project, Margaux and Adrien each received training through their CPF accounts: ▪ Margaux in Digital Marketing, Facebook and Copywriting, which helped develop upstream communication in order to form a community already engaged in the project when the site was launched and to show producers a glimpse of what they could offer them in terms of communication and promotion. ▪ Adrien received training in Web Development – WordPress, in order to understand the developers with whom they were going to work and to be able to understand computer language. This project is not only commercial: it aims to highlight agricultural professions, short circuits and also has a “pedagogical” objective. Adrien and Margaux want to play a real role of correspondence between producers and consumers, helping them understand each other and recreating a link. This project helps to redefine the role of the intermediary, by upgrading it: it is not just a question of selling a product, but of adding value to the know-how at the service of the local agricultural sector. The project will:

▪ Purchase of a refrigerated van and cold storage rooms to store food in accordance with hygiene standards.

▪ Purchase of storage, transportation and user-friendly sales stand equipment;

▪ Acquiring a tablet (to accompany people who are not comfortable with digital);

▪ The acquisition of photographic and video equipment to produce “reports” that go a little further, always in an effort to understand between consumers and producers. After two years of activity, Margaux and Adrien have federated some 50 producers but still struggle to earn a salary, which requires adjustments to their model by diversifying their activities. For example, they plan to develop an event service to offer their logistical expertise to organizers of weddings, seminars, tourist and cultural events, etc. who seek to promote local products in their activities. The emergence of a Territorial Food Project also offers other development opportunities, whether for tourism operators or out-of-home catering.

The emblematic character of the project

Like many rural areas, the Pays Picard – Vallées de l’Oise et de l’Ailette is characterized, somewhat paradoxically, by a lack of coordination between actors in the agricultural sector. While the COVID-19 health crisis has brought a renewed focus on agricultural trades and local products, it has also revealed glaring shortcomings in distribution and marketing that require know-how that is not necessarily available to all producers, who are often overwhelmed by production activities. It has also demonstrated the lack of coordination and networking, which is why the Pays Picard – Vallées de l’Oise et de l’Ailette embarked on the development of a Territorial Food Project (PAT) in 2022. Poirendeux is perceived locally as a first experiment in logistical coordination of a group of local producers with a distribution as close as possible to the inhabitants. Indeed, unlike other online producer markets, Poirendeux stands out for the proliferation of outsourcing points, most of which are located in secondary poles outside urban areas. La Poirendeux complements as much as it does markets, which are aimed at a different clientele, and producer shops, which are generally located in urban centers and are less flexible in their operating methods: logistics provided by La Poirendeux, possibility of adjusting the distribution strategy, etc. The project by Margaux and Adrien thus contributes to improving accessibility to local products, while offering the opportunity to raise awareness as close as possible to consumers, who thus discover the gastronomic richness of the territory.

Pictures

La Poirendeux

Pays Picard – Vallées de l’Oise et de l’Ailette

Hauts-de-France

France

Introduction

The Breton Seed adventure begins in 2015 when we discover, roasted barley malt, this taste treasure! Wanting to offer an organic and local alternative to decaffeinated, we wanted to create an original recipe.

The company has been named “Skiant Vat,” literally “common sense” in the Breton language, to offer a local coffee substitute. Since global warming is not yet significant enough to allow the local cultivation of coffee in Brittany, it has been necessary to switch to other products.

Since then, ideas have flared up and a range of gourmet seeds have sprung up. Today, Breton Seed offers a multitude of recipes: Barley, roasted barley malt, Sobacha, buckwheat infusion, chewable seeds, to be enjoyed as an aperitif and cooked to add a touch of originality to your favorite dishes.

More recently, new products have emerged, such as an Orzo Breton or even blends of varieties, to offer precise blends of taste!

Presentation of the project

The aim is to relocate locally products from far away to produce products from local agricultural sectors in Pays de Saint-Brieuc.

Our company aims to help consumers reduce their carbon footprint through their daily food purchases. For example, few people know that 95% of the patties are made from Chinese buckwheat, because farmers in Brittany have stopped growing it because of low wages.  What is an aberration for a flagship product of Breton culture…

 To make the project viable, it was necessary to work with local producers by creating a framework for sustainable partnership conditions and sustainable development of local supply chains:

– Greater use of raw materials through the creation of innovative products with high added value

– Fair price set by the producer, accepted by the company without any negotiation

– Transparency by indicating our margin to the producer to whom we transmit the selling price of the final product

– Choice of producers based on their practice and their positive impact on biodiversity for a sustainable local sector (e.g. La Malterie à Ploeuc l’Hermitage for its work on water sanitation; the use of barley for its positive effects on the reduction of nitrogen levels in the tablecloths as part of a first project on the development of a barley-based digestive drink)

Once the framework was set up to encourage the emergence of local solutions, we focused on creating innovative products such as:

– Sobacha: preparation of seeds originally from Japan but adapted to Breton cultivation for consumption in the form of infusion or pleasure for cooking. We have set up a partnership with Les Greniers Bio d’Armorique for supply, then we manage the mucilage extraction, seed rinsing, drying and roasting stages. In addition to a price rising from €110 per kg to €40 per kg, the effects of the relocation of these seeds are multiple: lower environmental and economic costs of transport, outlets and remuneration for superior local producers.

 The products developed involve a specific variety of buckwheat (husking seed) that was not cultivated in Pays de Saint-Brieuc, so the company took contact with the GBA (Armor organic breadbasket) to find producers as close as possible to the place where our products are produced.

Our long-term ambition is, as far as possible, to contribute to the relocation of buckwheat production on the territory.

 The LEADER program provided support for the project owner in structuring his project (financing plan, framing, assistance in applying for other funds), as well as financing part of the machinery, one year’s rent and the marketing necessary to launch a business to establish itself locally.

The emblematic character of the project

Our 2014-2022 application focused on two main areas: creating links (for the youngest, the least young and the intergenerational) and enhancing local resources. While the first point has been more than requested, it has proved more complex to find projects that make use of local resources, while respecting the LEADER fundamentals.

 Thus, the project presented above is one of our rare gems. With the will of local manufacture all the cereals come from historic Brittany. Roasting is done by hand in their E+/ C- eco-workshop, under the watchful eye of Yoann Gouery. To complete their local and committed production process, the packaging and labeling of Graine De Breton products are carried out by ESAT d’Hillion. In order to minimize the environmental footprint, they use photovoltaic panels to heat and light the premises. The rest of the electricity generation is provided by Enercoop, a company committed to clean and cooperative energy.

 The LAG was also committed to the project’s ecological beliefs. Thus, for the couple, producing in organic and local agriculture was a no-brainer. For them, this was not mere posturing, but concrete action in line with their values.

 Barley coffee is not a substitute for classic coffee, but a real alternative produced here in Brittany, respecting the land and people. Their DNA? “Manufacturing ICI products from ICI agricultural sectors”.

 Thus, this model project responds to several problems that the LAG had targeted, such as environmental problems (via local production or nitrogen capture that makes it possible to partly respond to a local problem) or societal problems, by integrating a plurality of actors (ESAT for packaging, or other companies that now buy the seeds from Yoann in order to transform them into their products, such as butter).

 The project as such is not intended to be transferred to other LAGs, but the philosophy is yes: “Consuming local alternatives that meet the social and ecological challenges of today and tomorrow, these are your aspirations, these are our convictions”.

Pictures

SKIANT VAT

Pays de Saint-Brieuc

Bretagne

France

Introduction

Taken over in 2009 by Delphine Decotte, the Domaine du Mont Rouge, in Rogécourt (Aisne), offers reception rooms for the organization of family events and seminars. But the Domaine du Mont Rouge is also 5 bed and breakfast and 3 gîtes labeled Gîtes de France that can be rented independently of the reception areas, which few people knew because of a strong identification of the place to his wedding activity. Desiring to stimulate bookings during off-season, low-season and weekdays during the high tourist season, thanks to the LEADER program, Delphine Decotte has been able to develop a wellness offer with a strong fun dimension: provision of nearly 500 board games with initiation opportunities, creation of XXL play areas in the park, publication of a playful guide to visit the surroundings of the domain, creation of a health course, etc. European funding has also made it possible to improve accessibility for people with reduced mobility through the acquisition of a golf cart and adapted outdoor furniture. In September 2023, the Domaine du Mont Rouge hosted its first fair of the game, bringing together several dozen associations and publishers.

Presentation of the project

Located in Rogécourt (Aisne) and with the Gîtes de France label, the Domaine du Mont Rouge is known locally for organizing weddings, birthdays, event evenings, seminars and the rental of capitals. Until recently, this represented 90% of the sector’s activity, with high seasonal concentration. However, few people know that it is possible to rent a bed and breakfast or a bed and breakfast independently. In order to diversify its activity, especially in low and mid-season, the Domaine du Mont Rouge wanted to develop a well-being offer with the creation of a spa area with jacuzzi, massage table, treadmill and elliptical bikes, all accompanied by the coverage and heating of the swimming pool allowing access throughout the year. But Chess fan and board game enthusiast Delphine Decotte wanted to make gambling a full-fledged part of her wellbeing, taking inspiration from the work of Lenore Terr, a psychiatrist at the University of Michigan, who believes that gambling allows you to forget yourself and that only self-forgetfulness, associated with pleasure, allows you to surpass yourself and be creative. LEADER has thus made it possible to set up a library of almost 500 board games that can be reserved for free with the accommodation. Each week, Delphine, her family and members of her network who are passionate about board games offer time slots to learn about different board games. Recently, the games are also bookable by anyone outside, helping to make the site more accessible to the locals. There are also play areas where guests can share fun moments in the park, including XXL board game tables, a fitness trail, pool tables, foosball, pinball machines, inflatable giant games and traditional picard games. The project also encourages visitors to discover the surrounding environment and the local heritage through the provision of a fleet of bicycles and the publication of a fun guide for walks and cycling. Visitors are invited to go on a pebble hunt, where they can add decorative pebbles. To complete this ludo-touristic offer, the project ended with the organization of a gaming fair on the estate in order to establish this repositioning of the accommodation towards a more family clientele. More than 3,000 people came to discover the games offered by local associations and specialized publishers. In addition to EU funding, LEADER has helped to mobilize other public funding. He also helped to reveal the innovative dimension of the project and to increase the ambition for the development of the play-host. LEADER has also contributed to improving the PMR. accessibility of the domain, through the acquisition of an adapted golf car and adapted equipment.

The emblematic character of the project

Located in the Aisne region, the Pays Picard – Vallées de l’Oise et de l’Ailette enjoys heritage and tourism assets with a strong departmental and regional orientation towards outdoor activities and well-being. However, the supply of tourist accommodation, without being in deficit on the territory, needs to be diversified and better identified. Furthermore, given the geographical location of the territory, one of the main challenges for local hosts is to develop attractiveness in low and medium seasons, as well as during the week. That is why the Pays Picard – Vallées de l’Oise et de l’Ailette has focused its strategy on supporting hosts to increase their range and diversify their offer, in order to improve reception conditions and capacity. In the eyes of local stakeholders, the project led by the Domaine du Mont Rouge innovates insofar as it integrates play as an integral component of its well-being offering, thus contributing to its differentiation on the territory and beyond. The introduction of gambling makes it possible to put well-being into a collective and shared dimension: welfare activities, often individual or couple, can therefore be combined with a family audience. The support of the LEADER program has made it possible to increase this ambition since the bearer, thanks to the prospect of European funding, has considerably increased its budget, mainly to enrich and diversify the offer of games, to open it up to people with reduced mobility and to organize a game show which, in addition to draining a wider audience, will make it possible to position accommodation and the territory as a place for experimenting with leisure tourism. The project is easily transferable to other LAGs provided it is carried by a passionate person motivated by the desire to transmit and share with visitors.

Pictures

Domaine du Mont Rouge

Pays Picard – Vallées de l’Oise et de l’Ailette

Hauts-de-France

France

Introduction

Five farmers and five senior citizens’ shelters in the Gâtinais territory volunteered to participate in the project to create a link between local producers and seniors between 2021 and 2022. Through this project, the aim of the producer and his dual institution is to: – Make seniors (re)discover the farming profession and local agricultural specificities – Address the brakes and levers to integrate local products into the menus of medical-social institutions. Beyond these objectives, this partnership has created real social, intergenerational links between producers and seniors, thus promoting the better integration of seniors in their territory, and more broadly in society.

Presentation of the project

In the territory of the GAL du Gâtinais français, 14 EHPAD (Accommodation for dependent elderly people) are present. These institutions suffer from a poor image and very few projects have been carried out to promote the link between the elderly and the territory. In addition, there is a need to promote the profession of farmer, among young people because of a lack of attractiveness of the profession, and more broadly among the general public because of a lack of knowledge of agricultural practices. Since January 2022, the EGAlim law imposes 50% of sustainable or under sign of origin and quality products in public collective catering. In addition, the Libault report calls for the introduction of communication measures to promote the professions of autonomy, and to promote events and structures open to all, in order to better integrate older people into society. Thus, the objectives of the project were: – To stimulate partnership approaches between the actors of the French Gâtinais territory – To enable medical and social institutions to have a more local food supply – To enable local producers to enhance their productions in collective catering – To maintain the social link with our elders of the territory In total, 10 animations were organized with the 5 producer/EHPAD pairs: visits to farms, potato tastings, production of organic breads on the farm, creation of seedlings of aromatic plants, … thus reaching more than 100 seniors and more than 20 people of the catering and animation teams EHPAD. This project enabled the residents of the 5 accompanied EHPADs to have a better understanding of the link between food and good health, as well as a better knowledge of local agricultural specificities, while rebuilding social ties with their territory. For the medical and social institutions, the project enabled the implementation of an initial approach to comply with the EGalim law, through a better knowledge of the supply of local food products that can integrate their kitchens: two institutions continued the partnership with the producer partner after the end of the project. All the establishments also want to reproduce the activities on agriculture and food with the dual producer, because of the very positive feedback from seniors. The five volunteer producers were able to value their farms and their production while experimenting with the supply of medical and social facilities. Here, the LEADER program of the French Gâtinais LAG carried out by the French Gâtinais Regional Nature Park participated in the co-construction of the project, the networking of local farmers with the EHPAD and elected representatives of the territory, the sharing of expertise in short circuits and education for sustainable food. Without the LEADER program, this project would not have been possible. There are no other grants available to fund this type of project.

The emblematic character of the project

In the face of the challenges of increasing life expectancy, the growth of the elderly population and the acceleration of working life, preserving the social link with our elders is a social and public health issue that concerns us all. The GAL du Gâtinais français is a rural area prone to an aging population. So the issue of maintaining the social connection of our seniors in the territory is one of the issues present in our strategy. This project was carried out by the association “les insatiables”, part of the SOS Group and present in several regions of France. It is therefore possible to easily transfer this project to other regions where the association is present. In recent years, an increasing number of territorial food projects (PATs) have been set up and aim to relocate agriculture and food in the territories by supporting the installation of farmers, short circuits or local products in collective catering. The Intergenerational Papillae project is fully in line with the objectives of the TAPs and can be easily transferred to these structures. At the European level, the issue of the isolation of seniors, circuits courses and food are also high stakes, the project “Papilles intergeneratoires” can be replicated outside France.

Pictures

Papilles intergénérationnelles au Parc Régional du Gâtinais Français

DUVAL Maryse

GAL du Gâtinais français

Ile-de-France