A Project Led by Ferme du Ponceau
Thibault Desmet and his family manage Ferme du Ponceau, a dairy and meat farming operation (cattle, free-range chickens) at the forefront of short supply chains!
With the help of his partner, Thibault runs a farm shop which directly sells meat packages, butter, yogurts, ice cream, and cheese, with a specialty: artisanal ice cream.
Thibault is one of the first farmers to have joined the cooperative “En direct de mon élevage”: a group of farmers who decided to take their destiny into their own hands, from farm to fork. The cooperative controls the entire meat supply chain, from the birth of the animals to marketing. The animals are raised with respect for animal welfare, using locally produced traditional feed (less than 30 km from the farm).
Regarding crops, and in partnership with the neighboring Valduc-Thor Brewery, Thibault has embarked on malting barley production, which our region is paradoxically deficient in! An agri-environmental measure involving the planting of a flowering strip has also been implemented, with numerous observable benefits for birds and insects.
It is in keeping with his commitment to family, sustainable, and animal-friendly agriculture that he partnered with the PlantC initiative to plant 760 meters of hedges on the farm.
A Hedge with Many Benefits
The primary purpose of the 760m of hedge planted at Thibaut’s is to provide more shade for the animals. Summer droughts are becoming more frequent, and increasing shade availability is an animal welfare issue. Hedges have a role to play in the adaptation of farms to climate change. Through their shading effect and their windbreak effect, they help to maintain grass production during summer drought periods. Furthermore, once the hedges are well developed, they can provide a supplementary food source for livestock. This helps maintain the farm’s good level of self-sufficiency.
Next comes the desire to have a positive impact on the landscape and the environment in a broader sense. Hesbaye is an agricultural region characterized by large plains, and planting hedges helps to further structure the landscape and create refuge and feeding areas for birds and insects. Pollinating insects, of course, but not exclusively! Hedges provide habitats for auxiliary species, meaning those that regulate the populations of certain crop pests (e.g., spiders and bugs that feed on aphids).
The Layout and Composition of the Hedge
The main hedge is located near the farm, between the cultivated land and pastures, in a completely open area. In total, nearly 660 meters of tall hedge. A second hedge of 100 meters was planted next to a neighboring field of large-scale crops. The 760m of hedge planted at Thibaut’s were planted in December 2021.
The hedge contains several species: field maple, sycamore maple, common hornbeam, male and common dogwood, hawthorns, European spindle, common beech, hazel, alder buckthorn, wild apple, wild cherry, black elder, rowan, purging buckthorn, pedunculate oak, chestnut, etc. These species are adapted to the Hesbino-Brabançonne region. Finally, this hedge contributes to the sequestration of 70 tons of CO2.
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Biodiversity Objective Achieved at Thibaut’s in PerwezGet inspired
The project in 2022
When our clients commit to planting projects, they see them through to the end! In early 2022, we visited the project at the end of winter with the project contributors. The idea behind visiting the project at this time of year is to make everyone understand the importance of such cover during a more challenging season.
The team from Parallaxe Cabinet d’Avocats, Training Institute for Parental Burnout, Walloon Brabant, Manitou came to the field on April 1, 2022, to visit Thibaut’s project, but also that of Benoit Lempereur just a few kilometers away!
These visits are also an opportunity to meet Thibaut and Benoît, two committed farmers who, with the help of PlantC, citizens, and businesses, were able to implement developments favorable to biodiversity and animal welfare.
Concrete actions, which embed in the landscape the involvement of stakeholders, eager to act locally 🇧🇪 to improve their ecological footprint.
We were able to inform and raise awareness among these businesses about the importance of planting. The functions of a hedge, a flowering strip, of miscanthus.
The speed and efficiency of your response, plus being kept informed of follow-up actions. This last point is as important to our satisfaction as the first two.
Thank you for existing 🙂
