Category: Green Cuisine (Page 1 of 3)

Le Potager du Roi

March 28, 2025 / heckerti

On our last day in France, we visited Le Potager du Roi, the little-known technical gardens within the larger decorative gar

The entrance to the tunnels, overseen by the statue of Jean-Baptiste de la Quintinie. Image courtesy of Isabella Heckert (2025).

dens at the Palace of Versailles. Created for Louis XIV’s own kitchens by the lawyer Jean-Baptiste de la Quintinie, they have been used to perfect tree and vegetable gardening techniques for centuries. The gardens, which once hosted elaborate growing infrastructure such as hot water heated greenhouses with coffee plants and thousands of fig trees in wooden boxes, are organized in circles around a central fountain. A system of tunnels runs below the gardens. Today, they are used for storage, but in Louis XIV’s time they were hiding places for the gardeners when the king wished to view his gardens from his terraces.

Many of the innovative techniques used by Le Potager du Roi today predate even the gardens themselves. The “espalier” technique, which was developed by the Romans, involves planting trees against walls to retain heat and extend the growing season. This is usually done with fruit trees, which can live for over 150 years in espalier formation (Wisconsin Horticulture). Espalier planting can also be practiced with fencing instead of walls for a similar result, as seen surrounding the garden plots. The result is that all sorts of crops, including beans, potatoes, tomatoes, and many types of fruit, can be grown year round.

The view of the gardens from the terrace. Image courtesy of Isabella Heckert (2025).

However, much of the original infrastructure of the gardens, including the figs, were destroyed in the “rationalization” efforts of the 20^th century. The horticultural school switched focus to agricultural engineering and many of the historical elements were lost. Today, the gardens are working to restore the “patrimony” of Le Potager du Roi using the palace’s extensive archives. For example, the gardeners are currently trying to restore the hundreds of species of apples and pears that were once grown in the potager using maps and records of what was planted during the reigns of Louis XIV and Louis XV. The horticultural school has also switched focus again, and is now training gardeners to work in historical and city-based spaces with “sensibility” for the cultural heritage of each site.

An example of the espalier technique on the fence surrounding a garden plot. Image courtesy of Isabella Heckert (2025).

It is ironic how Le Potager du Roi, which were created to provide food only for the king of France, now practices the same sustainable agriculture techniques as the urban, training, and community farms we visited throughout France. They practice cover cropping, agroforestry, crop rotation, and, as a publicly owned site, have always been organic. Their produce is now sold in the local boutique or to the many producers in France who transform crops to finished products. Inequality was built into the very structure of the garden, with its terraces and tunnels, and now they are open to the public. I felt this was an extremely fitting end to our exploration of the many ways French food systems are becoming more environmentally and socially sustainable, and find myself feeling hopeful for the changes yet to come.

Sources

Marh, S. (N.D.) Espalier. Wisconsin Horticulture, Division of Extension. University of Wisconsin-Madison. https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/espalier/,

Le Ferme Urbaine de Saint Denis

March 28, 2025 / Dinela Dedic

Sign for Le Ferme Urbaine de Saint Denis. Image courtesy of Dinela Dedic (2025).

Flowers grown on the farm being sold to the public. Image courtesy of Dinela Dedic (2025).

Today we had the privilege of visiting Le Ferme Urbaine de Saint Denis located within the limestone streets of urban Pairs. This particular farm has been an agricultural site for hundreds of years and was bought by the municipality of Paris recently after the passing of its fourth generational farmer. Aiming to preserve the valuable land and its soils, the municipality of Paris is lending the property to Gally Farms, a company primarily focused on greenspace maintenance but also owns three urban farms in France. Gally Farms opened Le Ferme Urbaine de Saint Denis in 2019, but it has only been certified organic by the French government this year for its non-hydroponic operations.

Although the farm does sell its produce in a short-chain system, its primary

The farm shop where produce is sold from farmer to consumer. Image courtesy of Dinela Dedic (2025).

goal is not production. Rather, Le Ferme Urbaine de Saint Denis is dedicated to education and hopes to connect local youth to agriculture who would never have had that exposure otherwise. Every Wednesday, the farm invites students to bake bread and hosts other activities such as tending to the field and caring for the animals. The farm also hosts teambuilding activities among their full-time employees and volunteers, providing education on composting and organic agriculture. The farm has run into some specialized challenges, however. By law, root vegetables are not allowed to be grown despite healthy soil because of pollution being released from the city and likewise, the eggs produced by their chickens are not allowed to be sold for human consumption. To combat these issues, Le Ferme Urbaine de Saint Denise feeds unsellable food to other animals such as goats or pigs and utilizes a compost system to put nutrients back into the soil.

Cloches used on the farm for hundreds of years. Image courtesy of Dinela Dedic (2025).

The brave Landon loading hay for the animals. Image courtesy of Dinela Dedic (2025).

On our visit, we started our tour with discussion over coffee and were then guided across the rest of the facility. We had a wonderful time feeding the livestock, especially the donkey, Apache, and Fleur the sheep, who along with the other animals live on the farm purely for educational purposes. We were also able to observe the growing space and the shop where the products are sold directly from farmer to consumer. The tour ended in the museum, where tools such as cloches used on the land hundreds of years ago are preserved for viewing. Our engagement as college students on the farm was exemplary of the type of engagement younger kids would gain on their visits and only emphasized the importance of having a connection to where your food comes from. This is especially relevant in France, where many older farmers are retiring and the land needs preservation by the newest generation to keep implementing sustainable agriculture.

: Amimals living on Le Ferme Urbaine de Saint Denis, including Fleur the sheep! Images courtesy of Dinela Dedic (2025).

Link to Le Ferme Urbaine de Saint Denis’ Website for More Information

Sources

Raworth, K. (2023.) Donut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21^st-Century Economist. Chelsea Green Publishing.

The urban farm – Saint-Denis. (n.d.). The Farms of Gally. https://www.lesfermesdegally.com/la-ferme-urbaine-saint-denis

Rooftop Gardens at the Opéra Bastille

March 28, 2025 / heckerti

Hidden on the rooftop terraces of Opéra Bastille, 2,500 m²of gardens provide hyperlocal fruits, vegetables, and edible flowers to the restaurants, grocery stores, and producers of Paris. Spread across four terraces, these gardens are part of a citywide effort to add green spaces to the built environment. There are several benefits to doing this, such as reducing the urban heat bubble effect. The Opéra Bastille is typically two to four degrees hotter than the rest of Paris, and in the summer, temperatures can be as many as ten degrees hotter. Introducing plants to the heat-absorbing slate rooftops helps to combat this issue by providing shade and reducing atmospheric CO₂. They also create “green corridors” which aid biodiversity and migration amongst birds and insects in Paris. This is definitely working at the Bastille, as I saw more insects – including bees – here than in any other part of Paris I’ve visited so far, including ground level gardens.

One of the terraces on the Opéra Bastille. Protective netting covers some onions, while beds of herbs are left uncovered. In the background, planting structures for shade providing beans are waiting for the growing season. Photo courtesy of Isabella Heckert (2025).

Crops, like the fava beans shown in this photo, are delivered by bicycle to two grocery stores, two restaurants, and small scale producers in Paris. Image courtesy of Isabella Heckert (2025).

But how does it all work? On the Bastille, layers of waterproof fabric, clay balls, and substrate combine to create a workable growing medium. Since soil is too heavy for the rooftop, the 15 cm of substrate that coats the entire rooftop is made of compost, clay, and lightweight volcanic rock. Another 15 cm of substrate is added to the growing beds for a total of 30 cm of usable growing medium, deep enough for root vegetables like carrots. Their growing capacities are limited by location and space, though – one of the two terraces we visited are only accessible by a spiral staircase and the other through a complicated series of tight hallways, stairs, and mechanical rooms. The gardeners must move their materials by hand, so progress is slow. This also means that the gardens are inaccessible to opera employees. Visitors can only see the gardens if they book a tour, like we did. Ironically, the two other biggest challenges are heat and pests, namely birds and insects. Gardeners must carefully choose heat-resistant crops and plant them to maximize shade, so that the extreme urban heat doesn’t damage the plants. They must also keep them covered to prevent them from being eaten by birds and insects. Another tactic to reduce pests is only planting crops in in the same space every four years, to prevent pest cycles from forming.

The Opéra Bastille gardens are especially intriguing because, as we have noticed throughout Paris, most of the farmer’s markets that people rely on for fresh fruit and vegetables sell produce from other countries. Urban agriculture projects like this one help to fill that gap by growing organic produce in the same city where they will be sold (Eliette Whittaker’s field notes (3/24/2025). Especially with the new laws promoting green spaces in Paris rooftop gardens like this one have great potential for helping short chain food systems take hold in urban environments where they would not usually appear. And, of course, one final point of interest is the view from the top!

The view from the highest terrace on the Opéra Bastille. Image courtesy of Isabella Heckert (2025).

La Recylcerie

March 27, 2025 / Landon

(Landon Davis, March 22, 2025)

On our first full-day in Paris we ventured to La Recyclerie in the northern suburb of Saint-Denis, a low-income area with a large immigrant population. It’s located within the remnants of an old railway station that was built in the 1870’s and closed in the 1950’s. La Recyclerie was founded in 2014, and it takes pride in it’s designation as a third place, which was described to us as a hub that offers a variety of activities. This specific third place emphasizes sustainability and ecological consciousness within their activities. We saw a workshop named René (reborn), which helps people fix personal belongings. There was also a rooftop garden centered on promoting biodiversity and honey cultivation (there was a particularly cute cat!). However, the main driver of success is undoubtedly their restaurant, which has a fully organic menu with vegan/vegetarian options always available.

While I do appreciate the sentiment behind La Recyclerie, and their commitment to environmental responsibility, I was highly concerned with their exclusivity. A majority of the social services (composting, fixing defective personal goods, etc.) are not accessible without a membership. Although the cost of entry is relatively low (€30 per year), it could still serve as a barrier that prevents local residents of Saint-Denis from utilizing La Recyclerie’s sustainable initiatives. This establishment also prides itself on the nutritious dining options that are undisputedly good for the environment. However, we were told that they charge a premium price to all meals, thus further alienating the low-income local inhabitants; however, there is a discount offered on meals if a membership is purchased. In my opinion, I find it unjust to require a membership to access the social services and discounts offered by La Recyclerie, and I find myself heavily questioning how this establishment benefits it’s community. I observed that the clientele did not feel representative of Saint-Denis at large; everyone there was young and chic, and the space felt like a bubble compared to the diverse demographics of the neighborhood.

Despite it’s progressive initiatives, La Recylerie faces significant economic challenges due to their status as a private entity. Our guide mentioned that the parent company of this establishment owns multiple cafes and restaurants in Paris centered on progressivism, he mentioned one that promoted feminist thought. Obviously I agree with these sentiments, however I do fully believe that using social issues as a form of marketing is wrong. I found La Recyclerie to, at it’s core, to be a trendy restaurant which uses the aesthetics surrounding sustainability as a branding tactic, thus commodifying ecological awareness. The services provided are only accessible to those who can afford it, and therefore excludes residents of the low-income community surrounding it.

Coffee with Dickinson Alumni Paul Bouvet

March 24, 2025 / larsenv

Coffee Shop. Photo taken by Valerie Larsen (3/23/25)

Alumni of Dickinson College are everywhere you go, and lucky for us, Paul Bouvet (class of 2014) was right around the corner in Paris, France. Paul has been in the restaurant industry most of his life but most recently, he is the director of Laduree – an upscale patisserie specializing in macarons. Having a conversation over coffee with Paul this Sunday afternoon provided us as students with the perfect opportunity to understand sustainability within the context of restaurants and bakeries in France! I got an extremely thick hot chocolate, it was rich and creamy. The price was 10 Euros, which I would not pay on a normal day, but it was fantastic regardless.

Paul was born in France but moved to Lancaster, PA when he was 13. He graduated from Dickinson College with a degree in International Business and Affairs and Russian. Working his way up from server to director of a restaurant in Lancaster, this is where he harnessed his skills for business management. Despite success in the US, Paul decided to move back to France and build his expertise in the technical skills required for French fine dining. Through schooling and working at several fine dining restaurants in France, he says he is happy where he is today at the Laduree and plans to stay there for a good while.

Earlier that day, before meeting up with Paul, we traveled to 3 different markets in Paris. Sustainability in France seems to be deeply ingrained into the culture, with a heavy emphasis on eating locally and with the seasons. This is apparent when observing the crowds of people at markets. At the same time, it became noticeable that many of the markets sold products that were not locally grown, such as out-of-season fruits. One market vendor in Paris said over 70% of the produce in the market is imported.

It was interesting to hear Paul’s take on locality and seasonality in Paris and the greater restaurant industry. He expressed how Paris is very similar to New York, people come from everywhere and want access to everything. It can be hard for the markets in Paris to heavily support locality and seasonality when there is such a
demand for produce that is not in the harvest, along with the fact that local agricultural production is not as accessible in the city. This is also reflected in the restaurants available in Paris. In my personal experience, while in Paris, I have eaten everything from Moroccan to Greek all within the last few days. Paul did mention that within fine dining restaurants that I’m assuming are more “traditionally French,” cooking locally seasonally and overall more sustainable can be easier because staying alive financially is not a problem.

Fine dining in general, Paul expressed, has more leeway with the decisions they make. Often, fine dining restaurants can be “disrupters” in the context of not just sustainability but also ethical working environments. Working in the restaurant industry can be toxic. When restaurants are not struggling financially, they can build better working environments. To me, overall, it sounded like sustainability and a non-toxic working environment can be born out of the privilege of the restaurant’s finances.

When Paul was asked about mass production and quality within the pastry industry, we got on to a conversation topic of croissants. I was personally curious as to how France keeps the costs of croissants down to 2 Euros while in the US, croissants are often $5-6. According to Paul, bakeries that sell croissants are likely to not produce them themselves. In France, there are large croissant producers that make them, freeze them, and sell them to bakeries. Costs can be low because they are mass-produced efficiently. Further, croissants are more popular in France, and so is the equipment and knowledge of how to make them- which also keeps costs low. On the contrary, American doughnuts are quite expensive in France in comparison to the $1 doughnuts you can get in America. The quality of mass-produced croissants was not covered by Paul.

As we were all siping from the last of our coffees and hot chocolates, we merged to the topic of flavor and cooking in France. In my experience, I have found much of French cuisine to be lightly seasoned. We asked Paul his personal opinion on flavoring here vs. in the US. Paul mentioned how gastronomic restaurants use very little flavor and that many chefs say only 3 ingredients should be used for one cooked item. For example, the flavor of a carrot should mainly be appreciated for the flavor it is. In comparison, french chefs often claim that the US puts too many condiments and unnecessary flavors in a dish. He went on to express how MSG, for example, isn’t bad for you, but disrupts your pallet, pushing you to overseason meals because everything else in comparison tastes flavorless. There is something to say about appreciating fruits and veggies for the flavor it is!

Overall it was insightful to meet with Paul Bouvet and hear a sneak peek into the restaurant and bakery world in France!

Hot Chocolate. Photo taken by Valerie Larsen. 3/23/25

La Fabriue Solidaire des Minimes 3/20/25

March 22, 2025 / larsenv

Photo taken by Valerie Larsen 3/22/25

On our last full day in Toulouse, we traveled to La Fabrique Solidaire des Minimes where we spent the day working together with the community to make a warm and comforting shared meal! It was energizing to converse with people from the Toulouse community (even through language barriers) and hear their stories. La Fabrique Solidaire des Minimes is a space that serves as a hub for individuals who are unemployed, looking for work, socially isolated, or homeless – helping people find jobs and/or community. The organization emphasizes social inclusion and building social links through cooking, sharing meals together, board game nights, and tea and coffee hours.

The space did not just draw from the local area. One younger man who had just immigrated to France from Guinea came from an hour away to help cook meals every Thursday, which goes to show the importance of this social space to people.

At La Fabrique Solidaire des Minimes, this non-profit seems to build food security while simultaneously empowering individuals by providing a space that validates people’s backgrounds, ideas, and stories through cooking and eating as a community. The organization is often utilized by migrant populations and it is wonderful to see what people from different cultures can bring to a shared space.

Photo taken by Valerie Larsen, 3/20/25

All the produce came from a CSA box, which is essentially a subscription box of locally grown food. The meal will not be determined until they see what is in the CSA box Wednesday night. While sustainability is not their first priority, through the CSA subscription, they are preventing large CO2 emissions due to locality and eating with the seasons.

Every Thursday, volunteers and recipients of services come to cook in the morning. This is an opportunity for people from all different walks of life and privilege to come together and enjoy each other’s presence. Once the meal is made, tables are pushed together to form a large dinner table, where everyone can enjoy the meal together. Everyone who eats the meal can help cook, but it is not required.

I was helping out with the main course, which was a vegetarian quiche and a healthy and filling soup where cabbage took the star of the show. Most recently the organization has started to cook vegetarian as it has been more cost-effective.

It was there that those prepping the main course met an older lady in a purple plaid jacket. She had moved to Toulouse when she was 20 and was beyond enthusiastic about being a part of La Fabrique Solidaire des Minimes. She expressed how much she enjoyed the intergenerational aspect of the space, as college-aged volunteers come to help out with cooking often, but so do middle-aged and retired folks.

Hung up on the walls, was art made by Veronique Combes, centered around themes of immigration and domestic

Photo taken by Valerie Larsen 3/20/25

violence. This art signifies that the shared space is safe for people who identify with these stories, but also opens up conversations around these topics. The art changes every month and often highlights local artists.

Once the soup had come to a boil and the warm smell of apple tart filled the kitchen, it was time to eat. Food was not scarce. While 20 of us were around the table, there were plenty of opportunities to get seconds. Overall, La Fabrique Solidaire des Minimes provides a welcoming place for people who may feel socially isolated, connecting them to resources and a kind, hospitable, shared space.

La Glanerie

March 22, 2025 / Dinela Dedic

La Glanerie’s logo located outside of its central location in Toulouse. Image courtesy of Dinela Dedic (2025).

Established in 2003 by the Metropolis of Toulouse, La Glanerie is a non-profit reuse center that aims to reduce the amount of waste ending up in landfills while also fostering social inclusion. Unlike thrift stores in the United States like Goodwill and the Salvation Army, La Glanerie features ten workshops alongside its collection centers where products ranging from bicycles to furniture are sorted, cleaned, upcycled, and then priced to be sold at one of its two storefronts in Toulouse.

One of the many items featured on the shelves of La Glanerie!
Image courtesy of Dinela Dedic (2025).

During our visit we got to tour the workshops of La Glanerie’s central location where literal tons of unwanted items are shipped to be upcycled and resold. We walked through fairytale spaces lined from floor to ceiling with bike parts, CDs, clothing, and toys waiting for new life to be breathed into them. Thankfully, between 65-70% of all items donated to La Glanerie are reused and redistributed into the Toulouse community at consistently low prices. Keeping prices consistent despite branding ensures that the recycled products circulate out of the stores fast, reinforcing La Glanerie’s priority of upholding France’s circular economy over generating profit.

All the products that are not accepted or remain unsold are either given to a recycling center with a focus on raw materials or donated to those in need. Curiously, most of the items donated to La Glanerie are clothing, which has been a major issue for the organization with the rise of fast fashion trends. After seeing their railcar filled with clothing that could not be accepted by the organization, it was easy to see that La Glanerie was being overwhelmed with clothing donations. The way in which it was impossible to sell as many items as was received really gave me a perspective as to the scale of fast fashion’s harm while also serving as an inspiration to make better choices as a consumer.

Items being restored to be resold in La Glanerie’s workshops. Image courtesy of Dinela Dedic (2025).

However, in addition to its focus on recycling products, La Glanerie is also dedicated to giving back socially.

Shelves of books being sorted in one of La Glanerie’s workshops. Image courtesy of Dinela Dedic (2025).

The organization features 15 permanent workers that provide hands-on career training for its other 50 temporary employees to help them break into or re-enter the workforce. This training includes both practical experience and workshops where employees receive guidance on creating resumes. The municipality also pays La Glanerie to visit elementary schools to educate children on the importance of reusing material, composting (featuring their dry toilets!), and environmentalism. As a response to the massive amount of clothing donations being received, the organization is currently developing educational materials for older teenagers and young adults on the impacts of fast fashion.

Tee shirt bags created in the workshop! I am quite proud of mine. Image courtesy of Dinela Dedic (2025).

My reusable sponge! Created by weaving together strips of old socks. Image courtesy of Dinela Dedic (2025).

As a class, we were able to have some hands-on experiences at La Glanerie as well! We created reusable sponges using pantyhose and old socks that can be reused for much longer than the usual plastic sponge. Each of us also received a tee shirt that we turned into funky, sew-free tote bags. It was great fun while also serving as a reminder that everything around us has the potential to be given a second life. The social work done by La Glanerie is equally as impactful as the work they do in restoring waste, reflecting the importance of including social justice in sustainable development just as we have emphasized in our classes on the circular economy.

Link to La Glanerie’s Webpage for More Information

Sources

La Glanerie. (n.d.). la-glanerie. https://www.la-glanerie.org/

Raworth, K. (2023.) Donut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21^st-Century Economist. Chelsea Green Publishing.

EDENN Iniatives

March 22, 2025 / Isaac Landis

Link to EDENN website

EDENN (Espace de coopération et d’expérimentation à la nature urbaine) in Northern Toulouse stands as a significant initiative fostering urban agriculture, responsible food practices, and the circular economy. EDENN is a collective of 14 different organizations that work as a unit, including, businesses, market gardeners, and associations that build on EDENN’s already sustainable and developing culture. This collaborative structure operates on a 1.7-hectare space equipped with offices, meeting rooms, storage hangars, a greenhouse, market gardening areas, and a composting platform.

EDENN’s establishment as a hub/food hub for these certain activities aligns with their personal ambitions of revitalizing a historically known market gardening sector of Toulouse into a sustainable district that is all inclusive while they simultaneously combat metropolitan agriculture and food dynamics. Along with that, it actively promotes the values and operational methods inherent in the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE). The SSE refers to a different forms of economic activities that make it a priority to put social and environmental objectives over that of profit motives. This commitment is also highlighted by its recognition in being awarded for various projects including, “Dessine-Moi Toulouse,” “Toulouse Impact,” “Pôles Territoriaux de Coopération Economiques,” and “Quartiers Fertiles”. These awards and achievements suggest a strong connection between regional and local development goals focused on enhanced sustainability and sustainable practices, as well as supporting circular economy.

The activities at EDENN provide a diverse repertoire, catering to local residents, people with project ideas, as well as a collective of different businesses/organizations. From community gardens, to CSA type programs, EDENN holds it as its mission to provide to the community and economy of Toulouse. With this multi-faceted system, it indicated their commitment to fostering a broad ecosystem around urban agriculture that also supports local food systems. EDENN is what I would consider an experimental space with a collaborative environment hosted by a list of organizations, these organizations provide a direct approach to consumer which continues to foster a community that is engaged with the food system. Reflecting on the concept of EDENN, it embodies a proactive response to the growing need for sustainable urban development and resilient food systems. By bringing together a variety of stakeholders, EDENN facilitates sharing of knowledge, resource pooling, and the co-creation of solutions that can contribute to a more environmentally and socially responsible urban environment.

Lycée des métiers de l’hôtellerie et du tourisme d’Occitane and Cartoucherie Neighborhood Tour

March 21, 2025 / Miles

(Image taken by Miles Avery, 3/18/2025)

One of the places we visited in Toulouse was the Lycée des métiers de l’hôtellerie et du tourisme d’Occitane. This school is public and free to anyone who is above the B2 level in French. Since the beginning of the semester, we have been communicating by email with some of the students that are currently enrolled in one of the schools English classes. The students, who are around the same ages as us, were very excited to meet us. So, when we arrived at the school, we were able to meet with the students and have them give us a tour of the school. I was paired with two students from the school who spoke a good amount of English but seemed pretty nervous about the tour. We ended up talking about what their classes were like, and they showed me the different classrooms and kitchens they used. Every student there was well dressed, as they had a dress code that appeared to be business casual or moderately formal compared to US schools.

image of the entre from the culinary school lunch

(Image taken by Miles Avery, 3/18/2025)

The students at the school end up working long hours. On top of all the gen-ed classes that they are taking, they also have around ten hours of hands-on kitchen work, bartending, or hotel management that they need to complete. Which equals about two days of practical work per week for the students. This means that their days are from about eight in the morning to sometimes ten at night. The school starts at the equivalent of 10^th grade, and at that point students live in dorm housing at the school until they are 18 (Isabella Heckert’s Fieldnotes, 3/19/2025). Older students are allowed to find apartments in Toulouse or live at home if they are local, but a lot of students travel from farther to get to school every day.

After the tours we got of the school, we visited the in-school restaurant where the students cooked and served our meals for lunch. We had a very good lunch that was skillfully prepared and professionally served by the students. While we ate, we talked to Dickinson and other university students who were participating in the Dickinson in France program.

Student reading to the group off a poster

(Image taken by Miles Avery, 3/18/2025)

After the lunch, we got a tour of the Cartoucherie Neighborhood by Madame Carnine who is one of the teachers in the Dickinson program. She gave us a small tour of the “new” area of housing that has been rebuilt after the factory explosion in 2001. This neighborhood focuses on diversity of all kinds, focusing on economy, people, class, and age. While walking around the neighborhood and food court/market building, I saw a large amount of diversity, which positively reflected the hopes of the neighborhood. While on the tour, we looked at the six good reasons why someone should live in the neighborhood, we talked them through with Madame Carnine and relayed how their values reflected a lot of what we have been learning throughout both our classes and our France trip.

(Image taken by Miles Avery, 3/18/2025)

Domaine de Candie

March 19, 2025 / Charlotte Minnick

Domaine de Candie

Rose garden behind la Maison du Bien Manger. Photo courtesy of Charlotte Minnick.

On our second day in Toulouse, we got the chance to visit Domaine de Candie, a municipal farm and education center. This land was purchased in the early 1970’s by the city of Toulouse, and consists of 25 hectares in the domaine. Of these 25, the vineyard takes up 12, the park takes up 5, and the rest is used by another farmer who grows apples and kiwis! However, around Toulouse at their other farm locations, they cultivate 250 hectares total. On these lands, they grow food to help supply the Toulouse City Kitchen. These foods include lentils, split peas, chickpeas, and wheat, which end up in the school lunches at local elementary schools! Working as an organic farm and vineyard, they implement practices such as the use of cover crops, and do not use irrigation.

The 13th century castle on the grounds. Photo courtesy of Charlotte Minnick.

In the park, there are a couple of structures that make up the main aspects of Candie. First is the Maison du Bien Manger, a refurbished house built by the old owner, which has now turned into an education center and multi-use building for the initiative. Here, we got the chance to make our own French baguettes, using only flour from the farm, salt, yeast, and water. While our loaves were baking, we took a tour of the park, and explored the inside of the castle on the grounds, the second structure. Marked as a historic site, this castle was built in the late 13th century, and is now used for their wine production. Inside, we saw both their stainless steel tanks and wooden barrels they use to hold the 6 different wines they produce, a few of which we got to taste, along with our freshly-baked baguettes and homemade hummus. In addition to this, there is also a store selling their dried goods, wines, and grape juice in the buildings at the front of the grounds.

Wine barrels in the castle. Photo courtesy of Charlotte Minnick

Candie acts as a window into the food and agriculture world, and prides itself on that. Through events, activities, and scheduled visits, the domaine works to give Toulousians a space to enjoy nature and respect where their food comes from. This year they will celebrate their 50th anniversary on their land, and will hold an event in the summer to share this with the community through demonstrating traditional cultivation practices. Candie is the perfect mix of hands-on activities and education around agriculture, and has created a green space for all.

Domaine de Candie

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