organic apples
La Oizéenne
Harvest available! order a box. You may also adopt once the season has ended.
The project
Adopt an apple tree from the farm "La Oizéenne" in Oizé (France) and receive your harvest in the form of organic apples at home. The Farmer Pierre will take care of your adoption and take its picture. Also, you will be able to download the adoption certificate and, if you wish, plan your visit to the farm. You do not enter into any long-term commitment: once you receive your harvest and you enjoyed the experience, you may decide to renew and extend the adoption.
What do you adopt?
Adopt an apple tree that we cultivate under the Organic Farming regulations of the European Union since 2016. During the process of adoption you can choose a name which we will use to identify your apple tree.
You adopt an apple tree that we cultivate using Organic Farming. We have two varieties of apple trees that produce Choupette and Goldrush apples. These two varieties need less maintenance because they are naturally more resistant to disease and pest attacks. Choupette and Goldrush are two so-called late varieties, they are harvested in October.
Choupette Bio, also called "Dalinette", is a variety of apples which appeared in 2007 in France. It comes from a natural crossbreed. The Goldrush Apple is a crossbreed between Golden Delicious and Reinette Clochard (old and hardy variety). Our organic apple trees were planted in 2012 and they have a life expectancy of 25 years. An apple tree produces between 20 to 30 kg of apples each year. You will receive 5 kg of mixed apples (Choupette and Goldrush) when you want them during the season.
The productive life of an apple tree is around 25 years. For as long as you want to keep it and we can continue taking care of it, you can renew your adoption year after year. If your apple tree dies, we will replace it with no additional cost and assuring the delivery of your harvest from others.
A apple tree from our farm produces an average of 25 kg each season. You do not have to commit to the consumption of the whole harvest. Each season you may decide what quantity to reserve and pay the maintenance in accordance with the amount you reserve. This way you will only pay for what you consume and we can plan and sell the remaining harvest amount to others.
What will you receive?
During harvest season you can progressively receive the quantity of harvest that you reserve on the moment of adoption.
Shipping format: __ 5 kg organic apples of Choupette and Goldrush varieties__
By adopting one of our apple trees, you will receive 5 kg of mixed apples (Choupette and Goldrush) so that you can discover the taste of each organic variety that we grow.
* Organic Choupette: very crunchy, sweet and sour. It has a subtle yet vigorous taste
* The Goldrush apple is a cross-variety between the Golden Delicious and the Reinette Clochard (ancient and rustic variety), very firm, flavourful, sour-sweet
* These apples will keep 2 to 3 weeks if stored in a cool and dry place
* Both varieties reveal all their aroma whether they are enjoyed raw or used for cooking: oven apples, pies, cakes
When will you receive it?
Please, check the deadline for participating in this project (deadline for adoption) below. As of this date shipments begin.
You can plan all the deliveries once you completed the adoption process.
Choupette and Goldrush apples are apples of "late" varieties; they are harvested in October. Choupette is harvested when maturing or colored, Goldrush is harvested twice: at first in October then 10 days after a second harvest.
These varieties are kept for several months in the fridge as they improve over time. They become tastier after a few weeks or even a few months. It is for these reasons that you will be able to receive 5kg of apple each week between the period of November 5 to March 11.
Why should you adopt?
* Learn who produces your food, how and where. Receive your food in a conscious manner.
* Buy directly from the farmer. Help to generate wealth and better jobs in the rural areas.
* Plan ahead and enable the Farmer to produce on demand. This way we can avoid overproduction and fight food waste.
* Reward Farmers who make an effort to use environmentally-friendly packaging and cultivation techniques.
Organic
Fresh and in season
How does it work?
Meet the Farmers
Adopt and plan your harvest
Let the Farmer and nature work
Receive your harvest at home
Environmentalist
BPA-free
Pesticide-free
Organic
Young Farmer
Family Farm
Visitors welcome
Pierre Leroy
Our farm was founded in 1824 by my great-great-great-grandfather, who grew apples and owned certain varieties. The operation has always been led by the Leroy family. From generation to generation, we have developed our crops and harvested new ones.
I have always lived in the heart of orchards. I remember spending whole days on school vacation on the farm while my father and grandfather picked apples together. I always asked him when I could ride the tractor!
I have always felt destined to work on our farm and on the family land. For this reason, after graduating from high school with a specialization in arboriculture, in 2009 I entered the family farm as a duo with my father Philippe, from whom I learned a lot about growing apples.
Today, Leroy en Sarthe apple trees cover around 100 hectares, where different types of fruits and vegetables are grown. My father, brother and I are all responsible for the farm, but each of us has a specific role. Philippe, my father, takes care of the cultivation of orchards, he monitors the growth of apple trees throughout the year, their water supply, their state of health, the facilities in the orchards. My brother Simon is in charge of production, supervises manual sorting, controls packaging, and is responsible for the conservation of apples. I supervise all internal activities, in particular the administrative part with the management of orders, human relations, recruiting seasonal workers; and outdoor activities to monitor orchards, sow and plant vegetables according to seasonality, mowing, the size of the apple tree, etc.
Joining CrowdFarming gives us the opportunity to create a close link between you and our farm. For us, it is a way to inform you about our cultivation methods and to discover our daily life while bringing you high-quality apples and pumpkins full of flavor.
Pierre Leroy
"Being a farmer means above all serving consumers by offering them quality apples and pumpkins grown with respect for the environment. Being part of the Crowdfarming adventure is for us the opportunity to be in direct contact with our consumers and to be able to share our daily life as a producer."
La Oizéenne
La Oizéenne
Our farm, « La Oizéenne », was created in 1824, at a place called le Châtaignier, Oizé en Sarthe. For 8 generations, our lands have been passed down from father to son. Apples were our first crop. Since then, we have diversified by growing fruits and vegetables of various varieties.
A family operator, we are committed to promoting the economy and job creation in our city. Thus, we employ around thirty people, living in Oizé or in the neighboring municipalities, many of whom have followed us for many years. Thanks to them, we perform a manual sorting of apples in order to guarantee quality apples to the consumers.
In our orchards, 5 hectares have been dedicated to apples from organic farming since 2016, the other apple trees respect an eco-responsible orchard approach. We have been cultivating our land for 200 years. We want to ensure longevity and cultivate for many more years, which is why we have chosen organic cultivation, which seems to us the method most suited to our wishes. We cultivate our land with respect for the environment. Thus, for the growth of our apple trees, we are equipped with a weather station in order to know the needs of our trees. You should know that during its growth a tree needs 800 mm of water per year and later in vegetation 600 mm of water per year. We obtain this water by drilling and reserving water, this water is then used by a sprinkler and drip irrigation system. At the same time, for our organic cultivation, we do not use any chemicals and favor mechanical weeding 2 to 3 times a year and one mowing per year. We promote biodiversity within our orchards by limiting the applications of phytosanitary products, by limiting mowing, by creating flowery fallows to attract pollinators and beneficial insects.
We are part of limiting waste by making apple juice or mashed apples from our leftover harvest. In order to guarantee quality apples, the apples are sorted manually by our local employees. When we prune our trees, the pruned wood is crushed and left directly between the trees to limit the spread of pathogens.
Technical information
Address
La Oizéenne, Oizé, FR
Altitude
85m
Team
19 women and 5 men
Cultivation technique
Organic agriculture
Irrigation
Drip irrigation
Location