A farm in the heart of the city

Free-range farm animals, fruit and vegetables grown according to the rhythm of the seasons, poultry reared in the open air, a whole series of training courses to pass on ancestral knowledge: 11^e generation of a family that has been established in Villers-Saint-Paul for 400 years, Patrick Mancheron and his wife Magali run the Arbre à poule an atypical oasis of greenery the size of three football pitches in the shadow of the council estates.

Patrick and Magalithe owners of l'Arbre à Poule in Villers-Saint-Paul, welcomed us to their haven of peace in the heart of the town.

A family story

" My parents always talked me out of becoming a farmer... "But the Mancheron family chromosomes decided otherwise. And PatrickThe sturdy 50-year-old is now a teacher at Ribécourt agricultural college, with a degree in biology and technology, specialist in market gardening, horticulture and agronomy! But how can you resist the call of nature, which has lulled you from an early age? The oldest document I have found dates back to 1612, when my ancestors made a flying leap from Rieux to Villers-Saint-Paul, he says. As my grandmother used to tell me, we've been occupying this plot of land for 400 years now. "

Until 19^e In the 19th century, the Mancherons became winegrowers, then ploughmen because they had the horse and equipment needed to work the land, and finally farmers. " On a stone in the gîte is engraved " 1769 ". And because I keep everything, I even have the first electricity bill in 1927, Patrick laughs. Each generation has participated in the political life of the municipalitySome were deputy mayors. Since the mid-20^e century, we are unique sons. And now I'm the last representative of the oldest family in the commune. "

A farm in the heart of the city

From then on, it was inevitable that Patrick would continue the work begun four centuries earlier by the Mancherons. to share valuable knowledge. Above all, it was important to be able to maintain this market gardening activity in the heart of a growing urban area. " We could have disappeared a long time ago, but fortunately urbanisation calmed down in the 1990s. Now we're more in tune with the times. "he says. Then he had to find staff to keep the 13,000 m² site going - that's almost three football pitches. Meeting Magali in 2005 was a decisive factor.because they share the same values. The foyer was completed by twin boys who, through their studies, have already followed in their parents' footsteps...

" In the Aisne, I was constantly in contact with nature, explains Magali. Sunday mornings were for family hunting, followed by game processing in the kitchen - in short, a taste for good things. "Her BEP in health and social work enabled her to work as a care assistant in a clinic in Argenteuil (Val-d'Oise) and then Meudon (Hauts-de-Seine). " The Paris region was for work, but I always came back to the Aisne to recharge my batteries, she admits. In fact, I loved helping out on the farmlooking after cows and sheep. That's what I started doing in Haute-Marne and the Cévennes before arriving in Villers-Saint-Paul. "

Be as independent as possible

Once formed, the couple refined their project: " Our initial objective was to be as autonomous as possible and not to lose anything "says Patrick. " To open our productive market garden farm, I added my love of animals - goats, sheep, cows, pigs, etc. - to Patrick's skills. "Magali teases.

Vegetables, fruit, animals, a whole ecosystem was quickly established in harmony. " When I was pregnant, I could see the council estates around us, and I imagined inviting my sons' friends, who were confined to flats, to our little island of greenery, our little paradise., remembers Magali. I wanted to bring nature to people who live surrounded by concrete, and we wanted to share our living space with the public. "

L'Arbre à poule is born

In 2009, the family farm "l'Arbre à poule" opened as an association. " There is no "s" in ". hen "because is to go from the tree to the hen, from the plant to the animalexplains Magali. It's our way of showing our respect for living things, whether plants or animals. "Patrick was recognised as a farmer in 2014 and Magali in 2016. L'Arbre à poule made a name for itself, lovers of healthy produce appreciate vegetables grown on living soil : " This is a practice whereby the soil is not turned over, but left to be shaped naturally by organisms, confides Patrick. At the very least, we add mulch to limit weed growth. ".

In spring, the micro-farm supplies peas and carrots; in summer, tomatoes, courgettes and cucumbers; in autumn, pumpkins, black radishes and lettuce; and in winter, root vegetables such as squash and cabbage. " We can count on sixty or so families who come to buy supplies every weekand around a hundred regular customerss", says Magali. " Everything is up to standard and checked frequently. For us, quality is more important than quantity. I work on a just-in-time basis: sometimes the lettuce we buy was still in the ground a quarter of an hour earlier. "says Patrick. As for the poultry, chickens, guinea fowl, capons, turkeys and geese are reared on grass.

However, with the Covid years encouraging people to limit their travel, the public wants more of them on the same site. " We converted to a limited company in 2022 in order to develop farm-gate sales without intermediaries, with a network of around fifteen local producers "says Patrick. In addition to fruit, vegetables, poultry, apple juice, syrups, jams, aromatic herbs, honey and fresh or dried herbal teas from l'Arbre à poule, there are eggs, dairy products, organic breads, beef and pork.

Welcome to the farm label

With the Bienvenue à la ferme label, tenants such as Vidocq and Cannelle the donkeys, Églantine the cow, Orange and Clémentine the pigs, Crème and Coquine the goats and Robin and Maurice the billy goats are a joy to behold. visitors interested in the educational farmThese include private individuals, schoolchildren, secondary school students, associations and sports clubs. " We take care of the animals right up to the end, it's like a real home for animals here., laughs Magali. One of our old billy goats even receives laser treatment to relieve his joints. And so as not to disturb the people around us, we bring the animals in every evening and the hen houses are soundproofed. "

Those who want to take the experience a step further and cultivate their garden using permaculture methods, or turn animal fleece into silky yarn, can take advantage of the couple's expert advice during courses. " We are firmly rooted in the region, confirms Magali. We donate our manure to the Villers-Saint-Paul allotments and can provide a meeting room for around thirty people. "

A gîte on the farm, and soon a second one

After the Gîte de France label for "l'Antre deux terres obtained in 2018, which allows former Villersois to come and visit relatives or tourists to be close to Paris, the couple are planning a second gîte for next year. " And we have plans to set up a small museum on agricultural life in Villers-Saint-Paul with documents and tools on the history of the commune "says Patrick.

Frédéric Noury – FredCom

Meet Patrick and Magali on video

L'Antre deux terres gîte