LES POTES AUX CHAMPS

About LES POTES AUX CHAMPS

Les Potes aux Champs is a Belgian micro-farm cooperative based in Magnée, near Fléron and Liège, that was created by four local founders to develop agroecological market gardening. The project is built around community-supported agriculture and self-picking, with the aim of producing local, quality food while supporting a more resilient and relocalized food system. (catl.be)

The company positions itself as a small-scale, environmentally respectful farm rather than an industrial producer. Its model emphasizes direct connection with consumers, shared risk between growers and members, and practical, hands-on farming methods. (catl.be)

Key Offerings

• Self-pick market gardening: Seasonal vegetables grown on the micro-farm and offered through an autocueillette model, allowing members or customers to harvest produce themselves. The crop range includes leafy vegetables, brassicas, roots, legumes, fruiting vegetables, and potatoes. (miimosa.com)
• Community-supported agriculture membership: A CSA/ASC-style system in which participants support the farm through an annual contribution and share in both harvest abundance and production risk. This is a core part of how the farm sells and distributes its produce. (catl.be)
• Local agroecological produce: The farm’s offering is centered on locally grown food produced according to agroecological principles, with an emphasis on quality, seasonality, and environmental respect. (catl.be)

Core Values

• Agroecology: The farm is explicitly built on agroecological principles, meaning it seeks to work with ecological processes and reduce reliance on conventional intensive methods. (catl.be)
• Local food relocalization: A stated goal is to help relocalize human food supply by producing food close to the people who eat it. (provincedeliege.be)
• Environmental respect: The cooperative presents itself as committed to durable, local production that respects the environment. (provincedeliege.be)
• Community sharing: Through CSA, the farm promotes shared responsibility between growers and consumers, including shared upside and shared risk. (catl.be)

Unique Aspects

• Cooperative founded by four friends: Les Potes aux Champs was launched in spring 2021 by four Liège-area friends, giving it a strongly local and collective origin story. (provincedeliege.be)
• Self-picking as a central model: Rather than relying only on conventional retail channels, the farm is organized around direct harvest by members, which creates a more participatory customer experience. (catl.be)
• Broad crop diversity for a micro-farm: The project plans and grows a wide range of vegetables, fruits, and other crops on a relatively small area, including an orchard and other complementary production. (miimosa.com)
• Recognition for ecological transition: The cooperative was among the laureates of the Prix des Acteurs de la Transition Écologique et Alimentaire, which provided support for developing its activities. (durable.uliege.be)