Our farm is a member of the Terroir de Crau association which is made up of 10 farmers that share their experience and knowledge. An agriculturist provides technical expertise and passes on information.

These specifications provide guarantees in relation to :

the thinking behind all production practices
food safety of the fruit produced
respect for the environment
traceability of the fruit

Certification :
The farm has been certified Global Gap as well as Integrated Fruit Production since 2015. Also since 2019, we have been committed to the High Environmental Value approach.

Controlling fruit load :
The aim is to have a well balanced load in relation to the vigour of the orchard.
Clear targets are laid down in terms of the number of spurs and fruit for each variety.

The targets are given and checks are made during pruning and thinning. All parcels undergo counts and everything is recorded.

Irrigation :
Water quantities are calculated by measuring soil moisture with devices such as pressure meters, which are read every three days, and digital watermark probes that log the data.

Irrigation is managed on the basis of the results and is increased, reduced, or even temporarily halted if the rainfall is sufficient..

Nutrition :
A fertilisation plan is drawn up with a specialist who beforehand conducts regular analyses of both the soil and leaves. Using these results, we draw up a staggered fertilisation plan. With staggered fertilisation the root system is able to completely absorb the fertiliser and so eliminates any losses.

Organic matter is provided by the shredded pruned wood and by sheep manure produced on the farm and spread before planting..

Phytosanitary protection :
Decisions about treatment are made on the basis of regular supervision of parasitic insects and diseases using traps, observation and regular counts. If a certain threshold is exceeded treatment may be triggered but it is not automatic.

Temperature and the time of the year are taken into account (the eggs of some species do not hatch below a certain temperature at a given time of the day, so if these parameters are not met, nothing is done).In addition every farm is protected by capsules that cause sexual confusion and so offset the need for large numbers of treatments against the main parasites of peach trees. Residues on the fruit are analysed throughout the season.

Harvesting :
The fruit is harvested near maturity following tests using a penetrometer to confirm our decision to start harvesting. Only the fruit that is ready is picked. The trees are picked four or five times, every 3 to 4 days.

On average the time spent on one hectare of peach trees varies between 650 and 1000 hours per year depending on the age and number of trees. Nothing is mechanised in the orchards and the fruit is packed directly on the farm. Again, it requires a great deal of labour even though we do have a fruit grader that sorts the different sizes of fruit. However, quality control and packing is still done manually.

Packaging :
We use all sorts of packaging, various sizes of wooden fruit boxes and cardboard box, small 2 kg trays, 1 kg packs.