Saint Dizier, France

In the early 2000s, small mountain farms in Saint Dizier were faced with the issue of closures due to lack of profits and migration to urban areas. With a small population of 35 people recorded in 2008, villagers of Saint Dizier have collaborated with an NPO to raise money collectively to support farmers that needed to sell off their private assets such as their farms. The money raised turns farms into shared assets that are used to promote organic agriculture, to entice young farmers to return to the village, and to develop upon agrotourism.

Expanding Definition of Community

Villagers view the younger generation of farmers as the key to the sustainability of their communal assets. However, due to high land prices and competition, young farmers were presented with obstacles. In 2006, villagers invited Terre de Liens (TL), an NPO that focuses on securing land access for agroecological farmers to aid in the process of conserving their farms and raising funds. With the help of TL and their national network of supporters, villagers also pooled funds together and raised upwards of 150,000 euros to support their local farms and purchase any farms that were on sale; donors also became stakeholders in the village’s revitalisation due to their investments. The expansion of their core community that led to farms being more accessible has proven to be successful in reversing the exodus and in enticing young farmers to reside in the village.

Forming New Models of Rural Practices

By sourcing funds communally, farms that were once private properties now become shared assets. The farms that were preserved and bought back with the raised funds have been leased to young farmers. In five years, three new farming businesses have emerged in this small village, such as ewe cheese production, a microbrewery, and fruit growing.

References

• Rioufol, V., & Wartena, S. (2015, October 20). Terre de Liens: Experiencing and Managing Farmland as Commons. Patterns of Commoning | The Commons Strategies Group. https://patternsofcommoning.org/terre-de-liens-experiencing-and-managing-farmland-as-commons/