“Here we go, we hang on and we go! Her grandson well settled in the wheelbarrow, Muriel is ready to attack the twenty hectares open for picking at the Réauté farm, in Thorigné-Fouillard, east of Rennes ( Ille-et-Vilaine). At the entrance, a large sign indicates the vegetables and fruits that are currently available, as well as the prices per piece or per kilo. At this time of year, pickers have the choice between carrots, new potatoes, beans, courgettes or cucumbers.
But the stars of spring are of course strawberries, sold for 5.05 euros per kilo. Her basket filled with red fruits with soft and sweet flesh, Annie, who came as a neighbor, gets away with it at the checkout for just over 13 euros. “It’s unbeatable, as a price, so I took the opportunity to fill up to make jams, says the retiree. In addition, they are delicious, not like the crap that we sometimes find in the trade, ”adds her husband.
“I educate my son on the seasonality of products”
Like this couple, many families took advantage of this sunny Wednesday in May to pick their own fruit and vegetables at the farm, bought in 2010 by Jean-Claude Ferron. “We forget that we are very close to Rennes, assures the market gardener. People therefore take the opportunity to have a good time with their families in the countryside. Busy picking carrots, Amélie comes regularly with her son Axel. “We don’t necessarily have a big garden so we come here to pick, testifies the mother of the family. I take this opportunity to educate my son on the seasonality of products. »
A privileged moment, therefore, but also a good deal for the wallet. Because, at the Réauté farm, as in all other picking places, prices are much cheaper than at the market or in supermarkets. “That’s not necessarily why we come first, but it’s always a little extra,” emphasizes Amélie. Even before inflation entered our daily lives, Jean-Claude Ferron’s farm had already been taken by storm during the Covid-19 pandemic. “We had an exceptional attendance, it was even complicated to manage at the beginning, remembers the market gardener. It has faded a bit since then but there are still more people than before, in particular because of the rise in prices. »
“A real pleasure to pick yourself”
Having to run a shop of 13 employees, Jean-Claude Ferron also saw his expenses soar with the soaring prices of energy and raw materials. He therefore had no choice but to increase the price of his vegetables and fruits. “But we made the effort to limit this increase to only 10%,” he says. Not enough to scare away the faithful, like Maëva. “It always remains economical, especially when you have children, testifies this resident of Saint-Grégoire. And then it’s a real pleasure to pick your own fruits and vegetables. We know where the products come from and we are sure that they are fresh. »
The face smeared with strawberries, Théo, 5 years old, has not only picked some. “We eat some while picking, it’s part of the little pleasure of picking,” smiles her grandmother. But be careful, all the same, where you put your feet. “Sometimes we have to call to order, because we have people who trample on cultures. But on the whole, things are going pretty well,” says Jean-Claude Ferron. Open mid-May, the picking season will end at the end of October at the Réauté farm.