Our project
Marion and Nicolas Sarlé
Founders of Les Sourciers
Having been in the hydroponics world since 2011, Marion and Nicolas decided in 2013 to develop their hydroponic kitchen garden into a commercial hydroponic farm. A âjamais vuâ (never seen before) in France ! Behind Les Sourciers are Marion and Nicolas SarlĂ©, a French-Argentinian couple who have been passionate about hydroponics for many years. Stuck in a work-eat-sleep-repeat life in Buenos Aires, in a tiny apartment and no garden, they discovered hydroponics by challenging themselves to grow lettuce on their balcony… without soil ! Sometimes a difficult situation can bring great opportunities ! After training in Vivero Villa Monica, on one of the Tiger Islands, they decided to bring hydroponics back to France in their luggage. Indeed, the ease with which the lettuce grew and their taste was against all expectations, so they decided to make the leap towards this new adventure with all their body and soul. Returning with their pockets full of surprising seeds, they came to settle down in Le Gers (South of France) where they are now managing the first ecological hydroponic greenhouse in France, in collaboration with the GHE.
It is a life changing adventure. We may have been a little unconscious or innocent at first, but we were very lucky all along our setup. Initially, it was meant to be a small pilot farm serving as a stepping stone for a more ambitious installation in the city. But we fell in love with the region, the plants grew well during the first year, and sales followed. When we realized it was working well, we didnât want to leave! Weâve changed our initial plans and decided to stay in the Gers, far from everything, but together with our beautiful mini farm.
Photo album of our farm
Settled in Lagraulet du Gers since 2014, the French-Argentinian couple behind Les Sourciers, Marion and Nicolas, could easily be called the wizards, considering their magical way of growing amazing rare plants. Their concept: to grow fruits and vegetables, replacing ground by water. In a 600 mÂČ greenhouse, the sown seeds are gradually transformed into healthy plants and that are sought after by many chefs of the gastronomic tables of the area. From ancient tomatoes to chinese chives, entering this enchanted world will make you discover aromatic plants with many virtues. Quality being more important here than quantity, as a choice, you will find many Asian varieties that have become very well acclimatised to Gascony. To visit and harvest the vegetables yourself, do not hesitate to make an appointment. Workshops are organized so that you can reproduce this way of growing vegetables and fruits worthy of the hanging gardens of Babylon! Marion and Nicolas will reveal everything to you and especially their devotion to respect for the environment and the cult of flavors.