It took Perigord videographer Romain Baudry three years to produce the documentary released in October 2021, “A farm on living soil” which has already attracted more than 165,000 curious on Youtube.
The history of the Ferme de Cagnolle in Saint-Amand-de-Belvès
The adventure began in 2008, when Benoit LeBaube decides to settle down and restore the Cagnolle farm in Saint Amand de Belvès. But he is very quickly overtaken by the reality of the soils which have lost their fertility. According to agronomists, his land is only good for growing pines.
And yet, today, the Ferme de Cagnolle grows more than fifty varieties of organic vegetables and responds to the challenges posed by modern agriculture by placing the soil at the center of agronomic concerns, with the deep conviction that a soil with intense biological activity is the solution.
A documentary highlighting the transition to more responsible and profitable agriculture
A farm on living soil is a 45-minute documentary that tells how this market gardening operation implemented the principles of permaculture to adapt them to intensive organic market gardening. The solution: bring the soil back to life. Benoit LeBaube succeeded in his bet. In five years, it has stored 7 points of organic matter, going from 1.4% to 8.8%. Today, his method inspires thousands of people through his YouTube channel @La Ferme de Cagnolle and the training he gives on the farm also attracts conventional farmers who want to change their approach to tillage.
So, if you are curious, listen again Benoit LeBaube of the Cagnolle farm and the director Romain Baudry documentary, a farm on living soil.