BUCKWHEAT AND APPLES
"At a time when humankind is facing critical questions about food, health, agriculture and biodiversity, buckwheat is part of the answer."
Bertrand Larcher
As a logical continuation of the farm's creation, in October 2020 we launched the organization Kouer Breizhat ("Breton Peasant"), a peasant solidarity project aimed at supporting Brittany's agricultural life through three objectives: buckwheat, apples and the restoration of hedgerows.
BUCKWHEAT: WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT?
We could go on and on about the virtues of this polygonaceae plant, which for thousands of years has enhanced even the poorest soils without any added fertilizers or pesticides. It is also a melliferous plant whose honey has healing, soothing and antioxidant properties. It provides a wealth of nutritional benefits: B vitamins, protein, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese... And, of course, buckwheat is gluten-free - not to mention deliciously nutty!
France's buckwheat production only accounts for 30% of our consumption, with the rest coming from China and Eastern Europe. Through our buckwheat-centric activities at the Breizh Café Farm, we aim to relocate buckwheat production to Brittany. To this end, we grow organic buckwheat on our farm in Saint-Coulomb, and our agrarian project Kouer Breizhat ("Breton Peasant") supports local buckwheat and cider apple producers.
BUCKWHEAT AT THE BREIZH CAFÉ FARM
On September 21, 2019, during the first edition of the Buckwheat Festival, we harvested over seven acres of organic buckwheat, equivalent to one tonne of seeds. Since then, our harvests have grown even more beautiful. This year, in 2023, we have planted around 25 acres of buckwheat, which we will harvest at the next Buckwheat Festival on September 16, 2023, coinciding with the European Heritage Days.
Buckwheat has a very rapid life cycle (70 to 90 days), being sown in May and generally harvested in September. Seedlings appear 3 to 5 days after sowing, leaves between 3 and 6 weeks and flowers after 6 to 7 weeks. Finally, the seeds reach maturity after ten to twelve weeks.
Buckwheat is an annual flowering plant that can grow up to 1 meter high. It is a long-flowering plant (50 days), meaning that buckwheat flowers throughout its growth. In July and August, small white and pink flowers develop.
Harvesting is carried out using a combine harvester. It takes place between September and late October. Harvesting can start when ¾ of the grains are ripe (staggered ripening), and the stalks have turned red and lost their upper leaves (25% grain moisture). Buckwheat flowers do not all bloom at the same time on the plant, which means that harvesting has to be carried out before flowering is complete.
APPLES
Apple trees are the quintessential trees of the region's orchards. Inseparably linked to the history of Brittany, it is the base of cider, our ancient beverage.
Brittany's cider apples are extremely diverse: in the Armorican peninsula alone, there are more than three hundred native varieties, and a single cider can bring together dozens of them. Kouer Breizhat aims to protect and support these varieties by buying apple trees, developing orchards, encouraging cider production, and supporting and promoting apple-based agroforestry.
Our partner cider maker Jehan Lefevre from the Ferme des Landes in Saint-Cast-Le-Guildo produces cider for Breizh Café in his workshop. For several years now, his rustic farmhouse cider has been featured in all our restaurants. Working closely with Jehan Lefevre, the Breizh Café Farm has planted around 1,000 apple and pear trees, with a selection of 80 different varieties, in order to create a Breizh Café cider from our own harvest, which should be available soon.