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Direct farm sales: how to organise product traceability
A simple traceability system links every batch to its inputs, production records and sales so affected food can be withdrawn quickly.
Articles
Seeed guides and news
Practical notes about local gardens, seasonal harvests, anti-waste habits and neighborhood exchanges.
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Carrots after harvest: how to store them well
Removing the tops, sorting the roots and choosing cold, humid storage helps carrots stay firm for longer after harvest.
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Fresh food from direct sales: how to get it home safely
A simple routine for identifying temperature-sensitive food, planning the journey and storing direct purchases promptly when you get home.
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Kiwifruit after harvest: when to pick and how to ripen them
Pick fuzzy kiwifruit once they are physiologically mature, keep the firm storage batch cold, and ripen only the fruit you plan to eat next.
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How to save bean seeds for next year’s garden
Leave a few pods to mature fully, then dry, clean and label the beans carefully so they are ready for next year’s sowing.
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Direct farm sales: how to provide allergen information
From prepacked jars to bread and food sold loose, use this practical method to give customers clear allergen information before purchase.
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Fresh chestnuts: how to sort and store them
Fresh chestnuts behave more like moist produce than dry nuts. Learn how to sort a batch, refrigerate what you will use soon and freeze the surplus without overlooking sp…
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Direct sales: how to read prices by weight, item or bundle
By weight, by item, as a bundle or in a packet: learn how to identify the pricing unit, compare like with like and avoid misunderstandings when buying direct.
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Direct sales in France: can you bring your own container?
In France, customers may ask to use their own clean, suitable container. Here is how the rule works without overlooking food hygiene.
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Walnuts after harvest: how to dry and store them
Turning freshly gathered walnuts into a crop that stores well takes four deliberate steps: remove the hull, sort carefully, dry with plenty of airflow, and test before p…
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Green tomatoes before frost: when to pick and ripen them
Not every green tomato will ripen after picking. Learn how to identify mature fruit, sort it carefully and ripen it indoors before decay sets in.
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When to harvest winter squash from your garden
Check the rind, stem and forecast before cutting winter squash, then handle and sort the fruit to give sound squash its best chance in storage.
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Farm biogas: why methane leaks deserve closer attention
A farm biogas plant can produce renewable gas while losing part of its climate benefit if methane escapes. As INRAE puts the issue on the agenda at SPACE 2026, this guid…
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How to organise farm pickup for local produce orders
A practical way to assemble orders, set workable pickup slots, protect food and hand over each local order without confusion.
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How to store apples after harvest without a cold room
Keep only sound apples for storage, find the coolest suitable space you have, and check the fruit regularly. If you cannot keep them cool, use or share the surplus soone…
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Autumn produce in France: how to eat with the seasons
September overlaps late-summer tomatoes, plums and courgettes with the first squashes, walnuts and leeks. This guide explains how to build a genuinely seasonal autumn ba…
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Pine wood nematode: what INRAE’s new containment greenhouse changes
The pine wood nematode is now present in a small number of French outbreaks under eradication. A newly inaugurated INRAE containment greenhouse will help researchers stu…
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Biocontrol and biostimulants: why France is accelerating field deployment
A new France 2030 call aims to move more biocontrol and plant-biostimulant solutions from trials into routine field use. The two families do different jobs, however, and…
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Drought and farmers’ health: the human cost of climate stress
Research in Bourgogne–Franche-Comté shows how drought changes schedules, adds tasks and affects livestock farmers’ health. Its findings make a clear case for treating cl…
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Urban vegetable gardens and biodiversity: what a French study found
Does growing food in a city garden squeeze out wildlife? A French study instead finds several synergies between vegetable plots, flower richness and connection to nature…
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AgRI 2040: how Europe plans to move farm innovation from labs to fields
The European Commission has brought agriculture, food systems and innovation into one strategy looking towards 2040. Its central challenge is not simply to invent more t…
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Broomrape: the hidden parasite weakening oilseed rape
Hemp broomrape diverts resources from oilseed rape long before it emerges above ground. New 2026 trials and research presented at INRAE clarify its hidden cycle, the lim…
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Marmot plum: the wild Alpine tree that could help future orchards
The rare Alpine marmot plum has been placed on the plum side of the family tree by a broad 2026 genetic study. Its diversity and ability to grow in dry, poor environment…
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Avian flu in backyard flocks: what France’s ‘negligible’ risk means
France’s national HPAI risk is classified as negligible, but one outbreak has already been detected this season. Registration, biosecurity, warning signs and local restr…
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Pumpkin seed recall in France: how to check products safely
A nationwide recall covers pumpkin seeds and several seed mixes after a cluster of salmonellosis cases was identified in France. Here is how to check affected products…
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France’s CASI plan: what €1 billion in drought aid actually changes
France’s CASI plan, announced on 4 September, mobilises more than €1 billion after an exceptionally hot and dry summer. From compensation to feed and seed support, here…
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Nature restoration plans: what changes for farms and landscapes
EU countries have submitted their draft national nature restoration plans. Behind that administrative milestone are practical choices about hedges, ponds, soils, pollina…
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Grand Noir du Berry: how four foals could help a rare breed
Four Grand Noir du Berry foals have been born after researchers and breeders improved a refrigerated-semen technique. The result could help distribute bloodlines within…
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Food environmental score: what the new impact points really measure
Since spring 2026, an environmental score has begun appearing on some food products in France. It combines impacts on climate, biodiversity, pollution and resources, but…
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Wheat and barley: what ancient genes reveal for climate-ready breeding
Researchers have reconstructed ancestral plant genomes and compared selection in wheat and barley. The work could help breeders find genes linked to flowering, yield and…
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Local food plans: what five French territories are really changing
A new ADEME synthesis measures how five French local food plans affect school meals, food waste, farmland and local economic value. The findings are promising, but they…
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Food cold chain: saving energy without putting food at risk
The food cold chain protects perishable products, but it also uses energy and refrigerants. New work highlighted by INRAE asks a practical question: can frozen-food temp…
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Food origin labels: what France’s 2026 farm law will change
A new French law expands origin information for certain meats and aquaculture products used as ingredients. The change is not immediate across every label: here is what…
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Agricultural waste: can the bioeconomy really replace oil?
Straw, vine prunings, crop residues and food waste are no longer seen only as rubbish. A new French research initiative is exploring how to turn them into materials, mol…
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Nitrates in water: why smarter fertiliser use is becoming urgent
The EU’s first comprehensive evaluation of its Nitrates Directive confirms that balanced fertilisation can protect water without sacrificing harvests. New data for Franc…
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Japanese beetle in France: how to identify and report it
Several Japanese beetles were caught in France during summer 2026, but no established outbreak has been confirmed. Here is how to recognise this regulated pest, avoid ri…
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EU seed reform: what could change for gardeners and farmers
The European Union is preparing its biggest overhaul of rules on seeds and other plant reproductive material in decades. The compromise text published in July 2026 could…
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Summer harvest surpluses: why 2026 is testing local food networks
A good harvest does not guarantee that every fruit or vegetable will be eaten. In 2026, early seasons, heat and uncertain markets show why fresh produce needs an outlet…
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Wildfires 2026: could farms and vineyards become part of our fire defences?
After a summer of record-breaking wildfires across France and Europe, an overlooked idea is gaining importance: farmland does more than produce food. Vineyards, orchards…
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Healthy soils are the foundation of tomorrow's food
Healthy soils are essential for resilient agriculture. During its 2026 Committee on Agriculture, the FAO highlighted sustainable soil management as a global priority for…
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Why local food networks matter as food prices rise again
The FAO warns that food prices may start increasing again as climate events, geopolitical tensions and rising production costs put pressure on global agriculture. Local…
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A strengthening El Niño could reshape the next harvests
The FAO warns that a strong El Niño is developing in an already warmer world. Farmers and gardeners alike may need to adapt to more heat, drought and unpredictable weath…
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Planting trees to protect crops: why agroforestry is making a comeback
As heatwaves and droughts become more frequent, farmers are bringing trees back into their fields. Agroforestry helps protect crops, improve soils and build climate resi…
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Why family farms remain essential in a changing climate
As heatwaves and droughts become more frequent, the FAO highlights the strategic role of family farming. Beyond food production, small farms strengthen biodiversity, loc…
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Climate-adapted crops: why choosing the right varieties matters more than ever
As heatwaves and drought become more frequent, farmers and gardeners are rethinking what they grow. Choosing climate-adapted crops could become one of the most effective…
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Drought: why every litre of water saved in our gardens now matters
France is facing a July marked by exceptionally dry soils and water restrictions in many areas. As drought becomes more frequent, gardeners can adopt simple practices to…
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What if gardeners used the same climate data as scientists?
Climate data is no longer reserved for researchers. Thanks to Europe's Copernicus satellites, anyone can now monitor heat, drought and soil moisture. Valuable informatio…
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France’s third 2026 heatwave: why our vegetable gardens are entering a new climate reality
Just days after France’s historic June heatwave, another intense hot spell is affecting the country. For gardeners and local growers, this repetition of extreme events s…