In this supermarket in Tarn-et-Garonne, vegetables and fish sold on the shelves are produced and raised on site

“In 15 days, we should have the first harvests of aromatic plants,” rejoices Patrice Marchi. At the head of the Super U of Labastide-Saint-Pierre (Tarn-et-Garonne) for ten years, he has just launched the start-up of an aquaponic farm at the beginning of March. A project coupled with the expansion of the store, from 1,200 to 2,000 m2.

Next to the vegetable section, a bay window overlooks a greenhouse where salad plants, peas, chard and herbs grow in eight basins. A desire for transparency towards customers for Patrice Marchi, who imagined this concept a few years ago during a discussion with one of his vegetable producers. “We are independent, which allows us to explore different things,” he explains.

The fish droppings will feed the plants

Within a few weeks, the first trout should be raised in separate tanks to complete the aquaponic system. “The idea is that the fish droppings serve as a nutrient for the plants, thus cleaning the water which will return to the breeding ponds. »

A circuit that is all the more virtuous as the greenhouse is heated by the heat released by the supermarket’s fridges, the basins are powered by rainwater collected in a 25,000 liter tank and the 300 m2 of photovoltaic panels provide the necessary electricity. “We wanted the greenest project possible,” underlines Patrice Marchi. “The objective is both commercial and societal. We are aware of the issues. »

A first year test

Completely removed from his world, he likes to spend time in the greenhouse, far from the noise of the supermarket. “It’s very calming, it feels good,” he assures, contemplating the 4,000 to 5,000 plants already in cultivation. To manage the project, he relies on Florie, one of the employees who has followed several training courses. “I have always been interested in the concepts of permaculture and self-sufficiency,” she confides. “I learned different techniques, more or less high-tech approaches, but we opted for low-tech here,” continues the young woman, delighted at the idea of ​​“producing green to educate people and accustom them to eating differently.” The ambition is also to welcome young people from the Montauban agricultural high school, which does not have any training tools in aquaponics.

While this first year will serve as a test to find out which vegetables take well and appeal to customers, Florie and Patrice are giving themselves two years to be fully operational. “We are aiming for five years to achieve economic balance, especially thanks to fish, which we can promote in different ways depending on the size,” indicates the manager, who also dreams of eventually having a 100% Tarn-et-Garonnais vegetable stall. “And as the idea is not to throw away, unsightly or unsold vegetables will be reused for prepared dishes or sold cut up. » From producer to consumer, we have never seen such a short circuit for a supermarket.