Ferme du Mont: 40 Fruit Trees to Grow Synergies Between Livestock Farming, Biodiversity, and Local Food

In Bois-Seigneur-Isaac (Braine-l’Alleud), PlantC is supporting Sophie Van Parijs and Ferme du Mont in planting 40 fruit trees within the pastures. This agroecological orchard project aims to strengthen the links between livestock farming, biodiversity, climate adaptation, and local food production.

A young farmer committed to the transition

A trained agricultural engineer, Sophie Van Parijs took over the family farm in 2022.

The farm covers nearly 100 hectares, combining arable crops, permanent pastures, and Belgian Blue suckler cattle farming.

Since taking over, she has been gradually steering her farming system toward greater autonomy, resilience, and biodiversity.
This approach notably earned her a spot as finalist in the “Qu’elle est belle ma prairie!” contest, which rewards farmers who promote extensive, sustainable, and biodiversity-friendly systems

Trees as Allies for Livestock Farming

The 40 fruit trees planted in the pastures will gradually bring several benefits to the herd.
As they grow, they will create natural shaded areas, improving animal comfort during periods of extreme heat. In the context of climate change, these developments directly support the adaptation of farms.
In time, these trees will also produce fruit, mainly intended for local value-added use, creating a new source of production to complement the livestock activity.

Here, trees serve several functions at once: producing, protecting, diversifying income, and enhancing the agricultural landscape.

Useful Biodiversity on the Farm

The planting is part of a dynamic already well established on the farm. Permanent grasslands, hedgerows, nest boxes, and refuge areas encourage birds, bats, and beneficial insects to settle, naturally helping to balance the farming system.

The fruit trees help strengthen this ecological network by providing:

• new habitats for wildlife;
• more food resources for pollinators;
• better ecological connectivity between the different habitats present on the farm;
• a more diverse agricultural landscape.

This approach perfectly illustrates the principle of functional biodiversity: supporting living organisms to strengthen the farm’s overall resilience.

A Project That Creates Synergies

At Ferme du Mont, every element is designed to work together with the others. The pastures feed the herd, the livestock contributes to soil fertility, the trees provide shade and biodiversity, while the fruit opens up a new opportunity for value creation through short supply chains.
This vision of farming is built on seeking complementarities rather than simply adding isolated practices.

It fully aligns with PlantC’s mission: acting together to strengthen biodiversity while building territories that are more resilient to climate change.
For PlantC, these 40 fruit trees represent far more than a planting project.

They mark a new step toward a farming system in which food production, animal welfare, biodiversity, and climate adaptation reinforce one another, for the benefit of farmers, citizens, and the local area