We start from a simple but powerful belief that healthy agricultural practices lead to healthy food, which in turn supports healthy people and communities.
The domaine
A historic farm with a preserved ecosystem
Located in Tournai, Domaine de Graux is 120 hectares of crops, vegetable gardens, orchards, pasture and livestock farming. It is a working farm by heart, one where agroecological principles align agriculture, animals and people in harmony.
We want to prove that agroecology is scalable at any size and leads to increases in crop resilience. This is not only a source of hope for all, but it is also a response to current challenges linked to the degradation of biodiversity, climate change and our consumption patterns in general.
120 hectares
Our living landscape
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The Barn
EVENT SPACE
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The Harvest
RESTAURANT
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The Courtyard
OUTDOOR AREA
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The Manoir
ACCOMODATION
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The Mandala Garden
FARM
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The Market Garden
FARM
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Orchards
FARM
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The Fields
FARM
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The Art Path
WALKING ROUTE
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Museum & Educational space
EVENT SPACE
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Tisanerie
FARM
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The Cottage
ACCOMODATION
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Mangalica Pigs
FARM
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The Food Forest
FARM
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Black Angus Herd
FARM
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Donkeys
FARM
The farm
Growing with Purpose
Everything at Domaine de Graux is grown, raised or restored according to agroecological principles: working with nature rather than against it. Healthy soil comes before maximising yields, and diversity is seen as a strength, not a complication. Crops, animals, hedgerows and people are all part of the one in living, interdependent system.
Certified organic since 2011, the farm has spent more than a decade putting these principles into practice: reducing inputs, building resilience, and nurturing soils that grow healthier over time rather than becoming depleted.
The Herd
Black Angus cattle graze the orchard and open prairies in rotation, each animal playing an important role in keeping the whole system in balance.
The Market Garden
A living, hands-on kitchen garden producing organic vegetables season by season, tended by a small team (and often a few enthusiastic seasonal workers and interns) who know every variety and its particular needs.
The Fields
Our arable crops are managed without synthetic inputs, using long rotations designed to give the soil time to rest and regenerate between harvests.
The Orchard
A conservation orchard of high-stem, untreated fruit trees with local and ancient varieties, home to our herd and the source of our jams, juices and other products.
The Mandala Garden
Built around the rhythm of the seasons, aromatic herbs and flowers here supply our tisanerie. It's also simply a place to sit and be still for a while and reconnect with nature.
The Food Forest
The food forest is an exercise in patience and resilience, inviting us to rethink what nature can provide.
Woodlands & biodiversity
Hedgerows, ponds, wildflower corridors and old trees, some planted nearly a century ago, cared for so that the rest of the farm can draw its vitality from them.
Mowgli & Fanette, our donkeys
Fanette and her son Mowgli move through the domaine with the seasons, so depending on when you visit, you might spot them in a meadow or near the orchards. As they graze, they help keep the grassland in balance, and they fertilise the soil naturally as they go. They’re also the farm’s unofficial welcome committee: gentle, curious and always happy to meet the children who come to discover the Domaine.
THE ART PATH
3.5 km reason to slow down
Somewhere between the rustle of a wheat field and the stillness of the orchard, a 3.5-kilometre art path winds through the working heart of the farm. It crosses from one side to the other, past fields and hedgerows and meeting the animals along the way.
Throughout the trail, works from renowned international and local emerging artists are placed to do one simple thing: slow down, observe and reflect. An installation might raise a question you never meant to ask, or simply stop you in a spot you would otherwise have walked straight past.
“Domaine de Graux nourishes not only the body but also the mind, and the artworks reinforce the domain's broader vision, in which sustainability, awareness, and respect are central."
Valérie Delfosse, Curator
The museum
Understanding history
To imagine what farming could become, it helps to understand how it got here. The Domaine's museum traces that history, not as a static collection of facts, but as a living narrative where past, present and future meet.
Visitors discover how our food system has evolved, from the horse-drawn plough to the industrial revolution and today's regenerative movement. We share our perspective, making the subject accessible so that consumers can fully understand the ins and outs. Above all, we want to address the real questions being asked today.
The kids educational space
Growing Curious Minds
A space where children learn through play, touch and discovery, growing closer to nature, biodiversity, the soil, where their food comes from and how our food system works. By making these connections real and tangible, we hope to nurture their curiosity, their understanding of the living world and the meaning they give to their choices as they grow into the adults of tomorrow.
Our values
Respect
Respect the land and people. It is by nourishing the earth, and regenerating healthy soils, that we will once again be able to provide nutritious food for all.
Sharing
It is by sharing our knowledge, drawing inspiration from research, and experimentation with new approaches that we can create a more sustainable future.
Optimism
We believe that change is possible and that by working together, we can make the agroecological transition a success. Each and every one of us can make a difference.
Respect
Respect the land and people. It is by nourishing the earth, and regenerating healthy soils, that we will once again be able to provide nutritious food for all.
Sharing
It is by sharing our knowledge, drawing inspiration from research, and experimentation with new approaches that we can create a more sustainable future.
Optimism
We believe that change is possible and that by working together, we can make the agroecological transition a success. Each and every one of us can make a difference.
The Team
Expertise & Dedication
At Domaine de Graux, none of this exists without the people who bring it to life. Our team nourishes the soil, cares for the animals, walks the fields in all weathers and is always looking for ways to do better. It's their determination that makes the difference. Thanks to their work, large-scale agroecology is no longer just an idea: it's 120 hectares working, day after day, to show that it can be done. We are grateful to them, season after season. Come and meet them, share ideas and learn alongside them.
history
A story that begins in the 15th century
Founded in 1492, Domaine de Graux has succeeded in preserving its natural character, with an exceptional ecological network. The natural landscape of the farm is always changing and evolving in tune with the broader ecosystem, promoting reconnection with oneself and with nature.
Long before "regenerative agriculture" or “agroecology” had a name, this land was already being cared for. The Seigneurie de Graux was an established farm in the 15th century, and in the five centuries since, it has changed hands, changed crops, and has adapted through the ages, without anyone ever truly owning it, only looking after it, for the span of a generation.
1492
The beginnings
The history of the Domaine begins in the 15th century. The Seigneurie De Graux was then an important farm in the region.
1873
Grain & horses
Known for its stud farm of draft horses, the estate turns to grain production under new ownership, the Simon family.
1940s
Biodiversity takes root
Paul Simon, an ornithology enthusiast, plants trees and hedges and digs ponds across the estate. That quiet, patient work is why the Domaine's 120 hectares hold such a rich ecological network today.
2011
Organic certification
Elisabeth, Paul's daughter, takes over and steers the farm toward organic practices. Crops diversify. Herds are reintroduced in the farm.
2014
Building for the long term.
The estate becomes energy self-sufficient and and a 6-hectare conservation orchard is planted, laying the groundwork for what would later become a place to gather, not just to farm.
2016
A movement is born here.
Nineteen founders from ten countries meet at Domaine de Graux to launch Agroecology Europe, an association dedicated to advancing agroecological research, education and training across the continent. It's still headquartered in the same spirit today: this is a place where ideas about the future of farming don't stay theoretical.
2022
A new chapter
The Nest Family Office acquires the Domaine, investing in the tools and projects needed to help transform our food system, with Domaine de Graux as living proof of what's possible.
Today
Building what's next.
The estate is in the middle of an ambitious transformation: renovated event spaces, new accommodation, and deeper collaboration with researchers, farmers and organizations who share the same conviction we do. The past 5 centuries taught us how to steward this land. The next chapter is about sharing that with more people, more openly.