How about Chioggia beet or Wädenswil white cabbage? How about Alberello di sarzana zucchini?
To mark the Fête de la Nature, MUZOO is pleased to invite you to the first ProSpecieRara. seedling market in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Come and discover a variety of fruit, vegetables, ornamental and aromatic plants offered by our partners! Also on the program are guided tours of the care station and a workshop on the relationship between wild and domestic animals, bookable via the Fête de la Nature website.
From 10.00 am to 5.00 pm
The Swiss Foundation for Plant and Animal Heritage and Genetic Diversity (ProSpecieRara Foundation) will be presenting its new project "Let's plant rarity! - together for rare varieties." Via the dedicated plantonslararete.ch website, fans of old varieties can share their experiences!
The LesPerce-Neige Foundation will be present with a totally local production. The work is carried out from A to Z by beneficiaries of the Foundation's "Garden" workshop: their skills work wonders!
Seedlings are grown "the hard way", i.e. without heating, except at sowing time. As the workshop is located at an altitude of 1,000 meters, the seedlings are very well adapted to the climate in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Unlike current methods of sowing seed by seed in compressed clods, beneficiaries prefer to transplant seedlings using an "old-fashioned" method. Unheated cultivation and transplanting produce very robust seedlings. The seedlings are mainly grown in multi-platforms, which means they can be sold by the piece and do not generate plastic waste.
This Boudevilliers-based family business has been producing organic seedlings since 2001. All stages are done by hand, from sowing to transplanting and potting. From sowing to transplanting, young plants are grown in a heated greenhouse, enabling an earlier start to the season. They are then transferred to unheated tunnels, so that they become more robust and adapted to the region's climate. Their customers are advised to buy the varieties best suited to their particular garden conditions.
Since 2009, Semences de Pays has continued its work of selecting, maintaining and multiplying seed varieties, mainly from local farmers' selections. Perpetuating the seed heritage handed down by market gardeners over the centuries is an essential aspect of the association's aim to perpetuate cultivated biodiversity. In addition to preserving this indigenous heritage, they are working on other varieties of interest for their agronomic aspects.