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The farm takes root

Dig in. Learn. Grow.
Hands-on, experiential learning
Organic and regenerative farming

La Ferme de la Taillerie

This autumn, students will plant the first hedgerows and fruit trees, prepare the future vegetable gardens and discover the new 1,000 m² professional greenhouse.

By sowing, planting, tending and harvesting their own crops, students apply regenerative farming practices while building autonomy, teamwork and a direct understanding of how food arrives on their plate.

Chemin de la Taillerie

The site

Until the late 1960s, this land was cultivated. A large kitchen garden supplied a large proportion of the vegetables served in the school cafeteria. A few metres from the barn stood a large metal-and-glass greenhouse. A watercress bed irrigated by a little stream supplied the school with watercress for its soup.

After fifty years as pasture, the land is cultivated once again. The farm taking shape here bridges historic farming knowledge and new approaches to agriculture. The students bring the gardens to life, one by one.

The surrounding ecosystem
Hedgerows, orchards, flowers, bees, animals, medicinal plants.
Beyond
Visits to neighbouring farms and sessions led by local experts.
Ouverture des premiers jardins plein champ
2,000 m²
of growing space across the greenhouse and the outdoor vegetable gardens
112 m²
the size of one vegetable garden, with more opening as they are needed
816
native trees planted by students in November 2026 to form the new hedgerow
Season by season

First steps

The farm is taking shape season by season. Students are gradually joining the project and taking part in building it.

This calendar is a working framework that will be shaped by the observations and feedback of students on the ground.

Summer 2026

Work begins on site

Starting with the greenhouse and the barn.

September 2026

The first students on the farm

The first group of students from École des Roches works on the farm for two to three hours every Wednesday afternoon.

November 2026

Hedgerow plantings

With students from École Jeannine Manuel, prepared beforehand in the classroom.

Winter 2026-27

The farm rests

Structural work and preparation for the following season take place.

2027

The full surface in cultivation

More student sessions are introduced, and pilot summer camps take place.

2027-28

One-week camps

Bringing students from École Jeannine Manuel, apple-juice pressing workshops, and a second round of hedgerow planting.

Summer 2028

A summer camp at the farm

Launch of a summer camp focused on agriculture and life sciences.

Discovering the farming world

Farm immersion

In time, the farm will welcome student groups for one-week stays. The students develop practical skills and a deeper understanding of farming. Each day follows a theme.

Monday

A diversity of farms

Identify different types of farms and practices.

Large-scale farming · market gardening · livestock · mechanisation · organic agriculture · living soils · the carbon footprint of food production

Tuesday

Water

Explore the role of water in agriculture and the challenges of managing this essential resource.

Collective water management · soil water-holding capacity · infiltration and permeability · pollution · erosion · micro-irrigation · rainwater harvesting

Wednesday

Soil

Discover soil as a living ecosystem, a carbon sink, and the source of fertility.

Soil structure · organic matter and humus · microbiology and mycorrhizae · degradation and regeneration · cover crops · compost · the role of animals

Thursday

Biodiversity

Understand the relationship between agriculture and biodiversity.

Food webs · ecosystem services · pollinators · beneficial insects · the role of hedgerows and Normandy’s bocage

Friday

Cycles

Observe the natural cycles that shape plant life, from seed to harvest.

Seasonality and the crop plan · seeds · germination · flowering · pollination · fruiting · food storage and preservation

Saturday

Climate

Draw the link between agriculture and climate and become stewards of resilient ecosystems.

Rainfall and temperature · microclimates · soil carbon storage · water and heat stress · adaptations in agricultural systems

Récolte de patates douces sous la serre de la Ferme de la Taillerie

How a day works

The field comes first

During their week on the farm, students spend time doing hands-on work on the farm. These practical sessions are complemented by three classes: environmental sciences, food systems, and creative practice.

Learning extends beyond the traditional classroom, taking place both indoors and outdoors. Late afternoons remain open for guest speakers, film screenings, sports and free time.

Through the seasons

The school calendar and the farm calendar come together around the rhythm of the seasons.

September → December

Autumn harvests, winter sowings, green manures, planting hedgerows and fruit trees, pressing apple juice.

December → January

The farm closes at the depth of winter. Time to create the following year’s crop plan, place seed orders, conduct maintenance and repairs.

February → June

Sowing seeds in the nursery, plantings in the greenhouse, weeding, trellising and pruning summer crops, harvesting berries and making jam, regular harvests.

June → August

The harvest reaches its peak with daily picking through the summer, and the farm welcomes its summer camps.

La Ferme de la Taillerie, est. 2026

Organic agriculture

The farm is run on organic and regenerative principles, on land that rested as pasture for fifty years. Official certification with Ecocert France is under way.

La Ferme de la Taillerie

Follow the farm, season by season

Get in touch to learn more about the farm and the programmes to come.
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