RED x Les Pousses d’Or
Three engineers turned urban farmers: Camille Raffier, Clément Solignac and Théo Gabriel settled in Lyon in 2019 on an urban micro-growing production farm.
14 November 2023
Three engineers turned urban farmers
Camille Raffier, Clément Solignac and Théo Gabriel settled in Lyon in 2019 on an urban micro-growing production farm. The adventure began at their engineering school in London, where Théo experimented with urban agriculture at a company specialized in vertical farming.
They were inspired by the English model to create a farm advocating local production with the lowest possible environmental impact.
Microgreens and aromatic herbs in hydroponics
They started their first trials in Décines-Charpieu in order to test their method of production and make their first commercial steps. They quickly ran out of space and moved to the Duchère plateau to set up shop in a 100m2 facility ideally designed for vertical growing.
Les Pousses d’Or produces for both restaurants and individuals. While the latter can find cut and packaged micro-pods in supermarkets, restaurant owners are supplied with “live” plants in order to increase the preservation and freshness of the product. On a daily basis, Les Pousses d’Or grows about ten varieties: leeks, red mustard, radishes and agastache. Each of them has its own specificities and allows for a wide range of products with a great diversity in terms of taste.
A controlled environment and optimized LED lighting for year-round production.
Les Pousses d’Or takes advantage of their indoor system by controlling temperature, humidity and sunlight. This control allows them to produce without having to use any pesticides or herbicides and to save 90% of water compared to traditional production. As soon as they set up shop, the Pousses d’Or understood the importance of lighting for indoor cultivation and the benefits that come with it.
“We were discovering the field of horticultural lighting. We had to find the right people to get the best possible lighting for our plants,” says Camille.
The question then arose as to which technology to integrate into the system. They quickly decided to turn to LEDs, which fit their environmental values.
A geographical and ideological proximity.
RED Horticulture and Pousses d’Or met at the beginning of their respective businesses. The objective of the urban growers was to accelerate the growth of plant shoots and increase homogeneity with optimal energy efficiency.
A constant homogeneity and early maturation.
Each aspect is determined accurately: lighting height, required power or required wavelength. The lighting strategy meets the needs of the crop in terms of both quantity and quality of light.
RED’s teams are enthusiastic about the idea of accompanying Les pousses d’Or in the development of their system and are happy to share their photobiological innovations with their Lyon neighbours.
“Whenever we have questions, about the LED or agronomic issues, Louis, Yassine and their team are there for us. We have always been satisfied with their services,” says Camille.
Innovation at the heart of Pousses d’Or’s development
In the short term, Pousses d’Or wishes to increase its presence on the B-to-C market as well as expand its offer to professionals. In the long run, they will try new and more innovative products, combining visual and original flavors.
With its photobiological expertise, RED will accompany Pousses d’Or in improving their lighting strategy for each of their new projects.
Use Cases
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