LE CHAMP DES POSSIBLES

About LE CHAMP DES POSSIBLES

Le Champ des Possibles is an agroecological market-gardening project based on the heights of Jupille in Liège, Belgium. It grows around forty varieties of healthy, flavorful vegetables without chemical fertilizers or weedkillers, and it is organized around direct harvesting by members rather than conventional retail distribution.

The project is built as a community-supported agriculture (CSA) initiative, with a close collaboration between the grower and the participating households. Members pre-finance the season, receive a weekly share of the harvest, and can come to the field with their families to pick it themselves. The company positions itself as both agricultural and social: it aims to provide quality food while rebuilding a fair, trust-based relationship between producer and consumers.

Core Values

• Agroecology: The project explicitly rejects chemical fertilizers and weedkillers, relying instead on organic manure and compost. It presents soil health as inseparable from human health.
• Solidarity: The CSA model is designed to create a fair relationship between the farmer and participating families, with pre-financing that supports the farm early in the year.
• Participation: Members are not passive buyers; they take part in the harvest, can join collective workdays if they wish, and are involved in the life of the project.
• Trust and transparency: Members can access the financial accounts and have a say in the management and production plan, reflecting a governance model based on trust.
• Seasonality: The farm works with the natural rhythm of the seasons, offering vegetables according to what can be harvested at each time of year.

Unique Aspects

• Community-supported agriculture model: The project is organized as a CSA, which means households directly support the farm and receive a share of the harvest in return.
• Self-harvest on the farm: Members come to the field themselves to collect their vegetables, making the harvest experience part of the service rather than a simple pickup.
• Transparent member relationship: The project states that members can consult financial accounts and participate in decisions about management and production, which is uncommon in standard farm sales.
• Founding story tied to Terre-en-Vue: François Sonnet says he found the land through a Terre-en-Vue meeting, highlighting the role of land-access support in the project’s creation.
• Educational and social dimension: The project extends beyond production through shared moments such as field celebrations and collective workdays, reinforcing its community identity.