Julien Canonge and Guillaume Havet, just enter the pick-up, to set up around thirty hives in the Corbières massif, on the heights of Tautavel (Pyrénées-Orientales). It is a question of quickly enjoying the first flowers of this early spring. “Essentially rosemary and then the thyme that arrives”, debrief the two beekeeping workers with disabilities but already in great professional autonomy. Employees in the adapted company the green spaces of the coastline, based in Canet-en-Roussillon, they are on the track to become qualified beekeepers and lead their own career.
“And these bees, they bring a lot to our employees,” explains Romain Mandine, director of this company integrated into the incredible association Joseph Sauvy, which accompanies more than 500 fragile people and whose headquarters is located in Perpignan. “Honey,” he continues, “already represents 10 % of the turnover of our environment management, or more than 70,000 euros in 2024! »»
“Sauvy” also on the snacking market
“Sauvy” radiates on all the Pyrénées-Orientales. About forty establishments deployed generating 70 million euros in turnover, employing 2,000 people to support workers with disabilities harnessed to a real production of wealth and pride of the work accomplished. “Our movement was created by actors in the agricultural community, in the mountains of Cerdagne, in Err,” says Yves Barbe, the director general of the association Joseph Sauvy. Around these goodwill farmers who have been able to create haffles of peace for vulnerable people and their families, the circle has widened. »»
And the association does not recede before any innovation or initiative if it is defended and above all led by the educators themselves. Thus, beyond the market gardening and the maintenance of the gardens, here are the “Sauvy” on the snacking market, the food truck, the beautiful mountain catering, the caterer with brigades of “fragile” workers in the middle of the others, and often with an additional heart to the work.
Thus, “Les Rachers de Sauvy” make all the members of the association dream. They were born the commitment of Cédric Valéry, who has since become a graduate beekeeper and team leader: “Already this year, we have collected a ton of rosemary honey, early. It was this rosemary honey that allowed us in 2024 to win a bronze medal in the French honey competition, organized in Paris by the National Union of French Beekeeping, “he explains. “And the consecration, it came last February thanks to our honey from wild rhododendrons. Gold medal! He exclaims again.
A tour of the agricultural schools in the department
The wild rhododendron only exists in high mountains, above 1900 meters above sea level, Rosacea massifs that hikers discover around June. This champion honey is noted, somewhere in Capcir but Cédric Valéry will not go much further on the location. Because it is well known, the hives hide to feed … their beekeeper.
“We are going far beyond the simple production of honey to fill pots and produce cakes-which is already a great performance of this quality craft. We are also convinced that many fragile people can flourish professionally in this virtuous sector which provides local production and is passionate about bees, “adds Romain Mandine who provides for a tour of agricultural schools in the department to detect future friends of” sauvy “bees.