When urban hostility is transformed into a plant island in the heart of the docks…
Installed in the continuation of the Cantine since 2016, the notion of a vegetable garden is being reinvented as urban market gardening.
Originally conceived by Nantes-based market gardener Olivier Durand, this is a pioneering urban agriculture site in France that experiments with growing vegetables and other edible plants on a former asphalt car park.
On more than 1,000 m², including 600 m² of cultivated land, it produces several types of salad, the famous Chantenay carrots, runner beans, spaghetti squash, edible flowers , fruit and many herbs such as basil, chives, lemon balm and many others.
Since its installation on the Quai des Antilles in 2016, the Cantine’s vegetable garden has aroused curiosity. Many visitors to the Cantine or, more broadly, to the Parc des chantiers regularly ask the teams of market gardeners for more information about the crops and techniques used.
An exchange of know-how, knowledge and skills between the countryside and the city. Agriculture as a topical, social issue, which resonates strongly in the city of market gardening.
In 2022, in order to best respond to these requests, we have chosen to hire a gardener within Le Voyage à Nantes, Olga Barazer.
Born into a family of market gardeners, Olga studied design and worked in the digital sector before returning to the land to grow delicious vegetables. She will be present throughout the summer, three days a week, to care for, maintain and harvest the products of the garden while providing “cultural and vegetable” mediation for the public.
It’s in the Cantine !
Nantes is transforming
Nantes is changing to become an even more ecological, inclusive, and dynamic city. To do this, new public works will reinforce our already existing ecofriendly modes of transport: new tram lines, green zones for pedestrians and cyclists, and more. From 2024, these major urban projects will disrupt traffic around Les Machines de l’Île and Parc des Chantiers, with the Pont Anne-de-Bretagne bridge closed off to cars (the bridge will remain accessible to pedestrians and cyclists). Solutions will be offered throughout construction to make it easier for everyone to get around, like: increased frequency of several public transport lines, more Naolib bike-share bicycles, and more parking spots in park-and-ride lots.
For further information
La Cantine du Voyage, Quai des Antilles, Nantes
How to get there?
Tramway ligne 1, arrêt Chantiers Navals – Chronobus C5, arrêt Quai des Antilles
Closed today.
