French production

French production is doing well, thank you! And it’s not Matthieu Velé who will say the opposite! A meeting with this young business leader from Maine et Loire and you will understand everything about his philosophy, his motivations and the values ​​that he wants to transmit well beyond the borders of his company!

French production

Working with plants is a matter of passion and a daily commitment. Bulbs, flowers, garden plants, trees and shrubs…. Plants still have their place in the lives of consumers, more and more of whom are becoming aware of their social and environmental impact, wanting to respect the seasons and favoring local provenance.

But that’s no small feat. Producers are dependent on the weather, warming and the vagaries of mother nature. In addition, in times of crisis, the garden consumer will refocus their wallet on what is necessary. And flowers don’t necessarily fit into the category. There is also global competition, and for French production, staying the course is not an easy task.

Against all odds, French production continues on its merry way. Many of them stick together and share ideas, with a desire to share values ​​and a strong desire to develop our plant profession towards a more ethical and responsible future.

There are numerous initiatives and this new generation of producers will surprise us!

Ernest Turc

Among them, there is Matthieu Velé, the worthy descendant of the Turc family who took over the reins of the family business 2 years ago. Behind him, 111 years of know-how, with Ernest, who died in the war, and Berthe, undoubtedly one of the first business leaders, well ahead of her time.Today, the Turc company based in “Brain Sur L’Authion” remains specialized in flower bulbs. They are even the kings of the dahlia. Research is in full swing and new varieties are emerging, more resistant to drought, melliferous…But why stop there? For 2 years, Matthieu and his teams have relaunched the production of narcissus. Traditionally purchased in England and the Netherlands, this plant could well regain its “made in France” nobility. Cultivation is developing in Brittany and buyers from major retailers will be able to bring in “Fleurs de France” narcissus, an opportunity to be seized if we are to believe the will of the distributors!And if we add a new range of floral seeds, in partnership with “Ferme de Sainte Marthe”, we quickly understand that the Ernest Turc company has its place in the French plant scene! Oh yes, because even if they are bulbs or seeds, we are still talking about plants and not a manufactured product… Inert!

Values

But the engine of this company is not just the tractors, the baggers or the fields of dahlias… The engine is the team. 85 people passionate about their profession. It will still take a helping hand with around fifty seasonal workers to put 20 million bulbs in boxes in autumn and 10 million in spring.With this dynamic team, we can also talk about organic, biodiversity, special attention to sustainable management of the activity. When surfing the company’s website, the commitments are in good place. Know-how, innovation, environmental evolution and quality are clearly explained and when you visit the company, you understand a little better what these commitments mean!To promote French production, the price may be an obstacle, but quality, values ​​and respect for consumer expectations are assets that can make the difference. The plant is in full evolution, perhaps even at a sharp turn. Which producers will still be present tomorrow? No doubt those who are committed.

The 2024 Garden Consumer Guide

So many questions… With answers that will come in the future! We investigated for 6 months to create the 2024 Garden Consumer Guide which will deal with plants. This 150-page guide will be available from October 20, 2023. Inside this document, in addition to the testimony of 12 professionals, we carried out a survey of 2,000 gardeners in partnership with “Promesse de Fleurs”.One of the questions concerned the origin of the products.”Knowing the place of production of plants, is it for you…”And to this answer, they are almost 90% to find this criterion from important to extremely important. Suffice to say that our amateur gardeners are extremely sensitive to the origin of the plants on offer.This “Fleurs de France” argument could well become an obligation on the shelves of our garden distributors. And in any case, indicating the country of origin of the plants is an act of transparency rather well seen by plant buyers!More info in the next “Garden Consumer Guide 2024” to book now on contact@guideconsojadin.com Roland Motte… Gardener!