‘What are your plans ?’, friends were asking me during the Christmas holidays. I know my plans already for a long time : becoming a goat farmer and creating a collective farm. But now it’s the time to realize it ! After my studies in agro-écology, ten months of working on a goat farm in the Pyrenees and several months of hesitation and dreaming, I now feel that we have to lance ourselves in this adventure. But yes, it is a huge adventure !
That’s why we will report it in this blog. To keep you updated, find new people that want to join the project, inspire others, and make a memory for ourselves. Also, I was surprised by the interest of people when I tell about this project and the enthusiasm it gives me. So what are my plans ? The first steps…
We have had already some meetings with the people we want to do this project with. We defined more or less the project, the what/where/how. The what and where are written in the page About. The how will become more and more clear in the next months.
Mathieu and me just came to the Drôme (a region in south-east of France) this January. To build a network, do research on the region and to subscribe to the different agricultural organisations. And in the meantime to find a place to live, a little job and to get more goat experiences.
We had a meeting with the Chamber of Agriculture to subscribe as ‘porteur de projet’ (ie someone with a farm project), this gives us the right to follow agricultural related courses. They explained mostly about the bureaucratic process to become a farmer and how to look for land. The ADEAR and CIVAM are two organisations more organic orientated who can also help with the agricultural installation. We started a course by ADEAR : “How to start a farm in the Drôme”, 8 days with different subjects :
- Positioning you project in the diversity of agriculture
- Access to land
- The different agricultural status (legal , fiscal and social)
- Introduction to accounting
- Finance your project
- Understand the choice of equipment in an agricultural project
- Reason your marketing choice and apprehend your working time
- Know how to present your project and prepare for the future
It feels now as if I am at the foot of a big mountain. What are the steps to take ? Do I have the skills ? Will I not drown in the bureaucratic stuff that will flow over me at the moment I will put a finger in the administration mill ? Is our group motivated enough ? Will we find more people to join ? Will I be able to communicate well ? And thousands of other hesitations and questions that are stirring the heart. But all we need is some positivity, patience and courage ! And then go for it !