News and ressources

Discover the news and resources
related to Domaine de Graux

Winter at the Farm: Armand’s Story

Winter at the Farm: Emilien’s and Eve’s Stories

Winter at the Farm: Astrid’s Story

Biodiversity at Domaine de Graux Above and Below the Ground

Domaine de Graux: our vision

Regenerative Agriculture and Soil

Matt Chatfield – I’m too lazy to farm against nature

The Link Between Soil and Human Health

FIND US ON SOCIALS

The (almost) winter weather is still with us...
This is an opportunity to discover 3 techniques used by our market gardener Armand, to overcome this inclement climate.

- Solarization: he spreads a transparent film close to the ground, to create a greenhouse effect and warm up the soil more quickly, 2 weeks before planting.

- A floating blanket: to conserve as much heat as possible after planting, Armand lays what’s also known as a wintering veil over the plants.

- The tunnel: to combat the lack of light, Armand has installed a tunnel, which protects the plants from bad weather and provides them with maximum light.

These 3 methods respect the earth and the life in the soil, while enabling us to boost the growth of our vegetables. So that we can offer you our delicious organic baskets as soon as possible! 🙂

To learn more about this topic and find out what Armand does during the winter at the Domaine, feel free to read our blog post, link in bio. 🤗

#agroecology #sustainablefarming #Tournai #Hainaut #circularity #regenerativeagriculture #regenerativefarming #vegetablesgarden #growingvegetables #organicvegetables

Discover the favourite tool of Armand, our market gardener.
His seed drill can do 4 things at the same time:

- Dig a furrow
- Place the seeds
- Close the furrow
- Pack the furrow so that the seeds are in contact with the soil

He uses it mainly to sow carrots, spinach and radishes.
Always with respect for the soil and biodiversity, in line with the philosophy developed at Domaine de Graux. 😊

#agroecology #sustainablefarming #Tournai #Hainaut #circularity #regenerativeagriculture #regenerativefarming #vegetablesgarden #growingvegetables #organicvegetables

Spring is back! And with it comes the return of sowing, buzzing insects and... the latest news from Domaine de Graux! 🦋🐝🌱
Happy reading and see you soon!

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Domaine de Graux is an agroecological farm. We're convinced that the future of mankind and the planet depends on a better harmony between agriculture and ecology. And we're determined to get our hands in the soil and show that this is not just a pipe dream. 🧑🏽‍🌾

🌿 Stay in touch! Follow our page to find out about upcoming news, events and talks related to agroecology and regenerative agriculture

#tournai #gaurainramecroix #agroecology #organic #farming #regenerativeagriculture #agriculturebiologique #blackangus #maraichagebio #avoidfoodwaste #burgersandfries

Welcome to Loch-Nest, the new bull at our farm! 👋🏼
He's nearly 3 years old and comes to us from the Château Vert farm.

He will be taking over from our breeding bull Jack-Eric, in order to renew the blood in the livestock and avoid the effects of inbreeding.

As for Jack-Eric, we hope to find him a new home soon, that cares about his well-being. A place where he can be happy, surrounded by other females. 🤗

What do you do when you don’t have enough manure to make enough compost?
Swap it for straw! 🙂

At the Domaine, we produced excess straw, which we exchanged for manure from neighboring farmers.

We then worked this manure over the winter. We stirred it up and added oxygen, so that the material degrades more quickly and turns into compost.

We then spread it in the spring to nourish the soil and protect it from erosion.

Want to find out what Emilien, our crop manager, does during the winter? Read our latest blog post, link in our bio.

Winter on the farm, what's it like for our animals? 🐄 🐖 🐓

Astrid, our breeder, is constantly making sure the cold doesn't get to them.

- She mulches a lot, to keep the animals warm. This natural bedding helps the animals retain their warmth and provides good thermal insulation.

- She makes sure the animals have something to eat and drink. This means keeping an eye on the water troughs, as the risk of freezing is high.

A necessary task, since our animals stay outdoors all winter long. Don't worry, we've consciously chosen hardy breeds that can withstand the drop in temperature. 🤗

Want to know more? Find out more about Astrid's winter work in our new blog post (link in bio)

#élevage #elevage #vaches #cochons #poules #ânes #produitsbio #Tournai #Hainaut #agroecology #regenerativeagriculture #regenerativefarming #agroecologie #agricultureregenerative #agroécologie #agriculturebiologique #soilhealth #biodiversity #sustainability

Weggis snow peas sown by our market gardener Armand!

All under a tunnel, to encourage growth away from the cold, rain and wind.

If all goes to plan, we’ll be able to offer you our first organic vegetable baskets of the season at the beginning of May! 🌱🤩

Is winter a quiet period at the Domaine? Yes and no. 😉

While the earth rests due to the lack of heat and light, our market gardener Armand takes the opportunity to clean up and store his tools, to prepare his equipment in advance, like drilling holes in the canvas in which he’ll be growing vegetables...
And above all, to prepare his growing plan for the year!

So many things he can do in advance to be more efficient when the warm weather will be back…

Enjoy our tasty, organic vegetable baskets from spring onwards. We can’t wait!

#agroecology #sustainablefarming #Tournai #Hainaut #circularity #regenerativeagriculture #regenerativefarming #vegetablesgarden #growingvegetables #organicvegetables

Let’s time travel 🤩
Discover these old photos of the Domaine, found in our archives!

An opportunity to remember three milestones in our history:

👉🏼 1492: The history of the Domaine begins in the 15th century. At the time, Seigneurie De Graux was an important farm in the village.

👉🏼 1873: Renowned for its draught horse stud, the farm evolved with the times, becoming a cereal farm under the impulse of its new owner, the Simon family.

👉🏼 1940: Passionate about ornithology, Paul Simon planted trees and hedges. He also dug ponds. These improvements to the biotope gave the 120-hectare estate an exceptional ecological network.

In the spirit of that past, we continue the work at Domaine de Graux: we respect agro-ecological principles to the maximum, for greater biodiversity and respect for the earth. 🌱

Looking at the photos, do you think the Domaine has changed very much?

#Tournai #Hainaut #agroecology #regenerativeagriculture #regenerativefarming #agroecologie #agricultureregenerative #agroécologie #agriculturebiologique #soilhealth #biodiversity #sustainability #produitsbio

She’s our Swiss pocket knife. Capable in just a few hours of welcoming visitors interested in organizing an event at the Domaine, developing our products sales through local networks, while helping a colleague with stock management. All with enthusiasm and a big smile.

Meet Eve, one of the Domaine’s latest arrivals and now helping us in its development. 🙌🏽

With a solid background in consultancy and management, this historian by training wanted to find more meaning in her work and play a concrete part in creating a better world. She’s in the right place in our team! ☺️

Don’t hesitate to contact her if you’d like to organize an event or develop a collaboration with the Domaine.
👉🏽 info@domainedegraux.com

#produitsbio #Tournai #Hainaut #agroecology #regenerativeagriculture #regenerativefarming #agroecologie #agricultureregenerative #agroécologie #agriculturebiologique #soilhealth #biodiversity #sustainability

@domainedegraux