“Microfermes” by JM Fortier

To make a comfortable living from vegetable production, one hectare is enough. The bio-intensive market gardening method on a small surface, developed by Jean-Martin Fortier, makes it possible to produce organic vegetables in both quantity and quality, while respecting biodiversity and the well-being of those who work the land.

However, achieving this is not just about growing vegetables. You also need to know how to plan, organize crops, and be a good manager day to day.

Cover and inside pages of the Microfermes book

Jean-Martin and eight professional market gardeners who apply his method share all the keys to creating, managing and making a micro-farm profitable.

Their journey, from acquiring land to selling vegetables, is detailed: business model, investments, crop planning and team management.

Inside pages on crop planning
Crop planning and organization.
Inside pages on the micro-farm business model
Business model and figures.

The authors

Jean-Martin Fortier developed a bio-intensive production method for small surfaces. Its effectiveness has earned him great success, not only in Canada where he lives, but also in the United States and Europe. He founded the Market Gardener Institute, where he trains future operators with the goal of supporting the global agricultural transition. He is also the author of the “Les guides du jardinier-maraîcher” collection at Delachaux et Niestlé.

Aurélie Sécheret is a journalist specializing in the ecological transition and an urban farmer engaged in the fight against food insecurity. She develops local agriculture projects within the Veni Verdi association, creating community gardens, chicken coops, edible hedges and orchards in the heart of working-class neighborhoods.

Pierre Nessmann, from a family of Strasbourg market gardeners, is a graduate of the School of Horticulture in Geneva, Switzerland. For more than 40 years, he has divided his time between his work as a landscape gardener and his journalism activities. He is the author of “Mon jardin qui s’adapte au changement climatique” and “Potager de père en fils” at Delachaux et Niestlé.

Our video about the book

For the release of Jean-Martin Fortier’s book “Microfermes”, I went to Paris where I had the opportunity to discuss the financial model of intensive organic market gardening with two other market gardeners, Jean-Michel Le Guen of the Microferme des Anges and Tom Rials of the Ferme du Perche.

To go further

Discover the in-person Microferme training
Discover our in-person Microferme training.