Fanny Lebrun is the driving force behind Les Marequiers, a Belgian non-profit dedicated to regional food autonomy. Through their flagship program, Semences d'Ici (which translates to Seeds from Here), Fanny works to strengthen the local organic seed sector. Prior to that, Fanny started the seed company Cycle en Terre by herself then built it into a citizen-owned seed cooperative.

In this episode, Fanny shares the logistics and challenges of scaling a seed business from a one-person operation to a ten-person team. We discuss Fanny's transition into Les Marequiers and how she is trying to bridge the information gap from academic research to the practical realities of the farm. We also talk about the organic disease and pest management guide she has recently written.

In the deep dive, Fanny and I talk about growing carrots for seed. We get into the difficulties of growing seed carrots in humid, short-season climates, covering overwintering roots in a simple cellar and how to balance the harvest of primary and secondary umbels.

Enjoy the conversation!

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Episode links

Les Marequiers website

https://lesmarequiers.be/

French organic disease and pest management guide:

Gestion des bioagresseurs en production de semences potagères biologiques.

https://lesmarequiers.be/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/SDI-Dossiers-LesBioagresseurs.pdf

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Use code HARVESTREADY

for 50% off the Harvest System Designs course

https://www.farmerspreadsheetacademy.com//courses

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❤️ Thanks for listening!