“Agriculture must find its rightful place” for Claire and Geoffrey Andna, at the head of an urban farm

The place is rare. Surprising in an agglomeration as densely populated as Strasbourg. Vegetable fields in the heart of the city? Welcome to the “Meinau islet”. It is there, wedged between a factory, the Krimmeri river and an industrial area that an urban farm has been established.

“We even saw the spire of the cathedral,” laughs Geoffrey Andna as he walks around the owner. Or two huge greenhouses, 6,500 and 4,000 m², on a total of 11 hectares of exploitation. Former corn fields that he has completely transformed since 2014, the year he started “from scratch”.

Well, not exactly. “I came with my grandfather’s little vineyard tractor, my cheap tool box and a lot of desire,” continues the entrepreneur, who was working as a technical adviser in the agricultural sector at the time. His wife Claire quickly joined him and since then the couple has largely developed the business. In 2021, “the Meinau islet” achieved a turnover “of 1.8 million euros”. Today, about “20 people” work there year-round. Whether on the farm, in the on-site direct sales shop or for delivery.

“L’île de la Meinau” is in the middle of a dead end, not far from the football stadium. – T. Gagnepain / 20 Minutes

A real success story? Without a doubt, but above all a success specific to the young couple, both 35 years old. They insist: “We were helped very little, we were even put more spokes in the wheels than anything else”, summarizes the former employee in the private sector. It refers to “a much too cumbersome and complicated administration”. “For example, to obtain around 1,000 euros in aid from the Common Agricultural Policy [PAC]there are about 20 hours of work for lots of readings”.

Financial aid, the spouses had others. Like the young farmer endowment for setting up, or the recent subsidy from the agricultural recovery plan… “We stuck to it and that allowed us to continue investing. But it is not thanks to all that that we have developed, ”reacts Geoffrey Andna.

“Politics doesn’t really affect us”

For the next presidential election, the couple does not yet know where it is going. Without it worrying him. “Politics doesn’t really affect us. We would just like the state to be much less interventionist, continues the entrepreneur. In terms of administration but also of aid. Some cereal farms receive more than 100,000 euros in CAP [par l’Union européenne] whereas they do not employ anyone… We would prefer that this support go to an agriculture which creates wealth and jobs. »

Like theirs… Which is almost an exception in a sector where many producers are suffering. Debt, because of the low purchase prices of their products, their increasingly reduced margins… “You have to rethink when you see that it no longer works. Today, very few farmers sell directly to the consumer…”, sweeps Claire Andna, claiming to be “a little outside the agricultural system”. “But not too much all the same, we also call on colleagues from time to time”, nuances her husband.

The two come together: they would like us to “take a little more interest in [leur] model “. “And that we also have more means to dialogue with our authorities, which is not the case today. Delegations from other conurbations, “like Nancy and Belgian towns” have already come to visit them to reproduce their success as an urban farm. Very close to the consumer who comes directly to stock up there.

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The “L’île de la Meinau” sales store, where vegetables, fruits, juices, meat, cheeses are accessible… – T. Gagnepain / 20 Minutes

“We have to put our food sovereignty back where it should be. During confinement, as we saw, products were missing from the shelves. Agriculture must find its rightful place”, insists Geoffrey Andna, without having the impression that the theme concerns the slightest candidate for the presidential election. Too bad, they will still continue to invest and develop operations, perhaps with the upcoming opening of a second point of sale. ” You have to move forward… “

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