Ferme de la Rigaudière
- Type
- Farm / Primary Producer
- Location
- Thimougies, Belgium
- Industries
- Arable farming, Crop / plant science, Shortening supply chain, Food ingredients & products
- Domains
- Vegetables, Plant based primary products, Poultry, Animal based primary products
About Ferme de la Rigaudière
Ferme de la Rigaudière is an organic market-gardening farm founded by Jean-Baptiste del Marmol in spring 2018. The company grows vegetables and sells them to professional customers, with a clear focus on supplying shops and cooperatives in its region.
The farm presents itself as more than just certified organic: it is built around agroecological principles and a commitment to sustainable farming. Since summer 2022, it has concentrated exclusively on selling through partner stores, allowing the team to focus on producing high-quality vegetables while leaving commercialization to retail partners.
Core Values
- Organic farming: All vegetables are certified organic, meaning they are grown without synthetic pesticides or chemical fertilizers. Regular inspections by the certification body help ensure compliance.
- Agroecology: The farm goes beyond the organic label by following agroecological principles that aim to protect both land and people. This includes practices designed to support biodiversity, soil life, and long-term farm resilience.
- Sustainability: The farm emphasizes low-impact cultivation methods such as no-till farming, avoiding plastic mulch, and using biodegradable mulch where needed. Fertility is managed with organic inputs and green manures to maintain a living soil.
Unique Aspects
- Exclusive regional retail channel: Since summer 2022, the farm has sold exclusively through shops and cooperatives in the region, rather than handling its own commercialization.
- Agroecological field practices: The farm plants hedges, trees, and nectar-rich plants, and installs nesting boxes and beehives to support biodiversity around its fields.
- Soil-focused cultivation: It uses no-till methods and avoids plastic mulch, relying instead on biodegradable mulch for some crops and on organic fertilization from poultry manure, neighboring livestock manure, and green manures.
- Founder-led project: The farm was created by Jean-Baptiste del Marmol after experience working with an organic market gardener in Belgium, and it is run with the support of a dedicated team.