Ferme du Pont de Sains

What Ferme du Pont de Sains does

Ferme du Pont de Sains is a French ESAT (sheltered workshop for disabled workers) operating under the nonprofit Association Traits d'Union, a recognized public utility since 1934. Founded in 1977 in Féron in the Avesnois region, it operates four sites across Féron, Fourmies, Trélon, and Etroeungt, employing nearly 180 disabled workers across 166 authorized places. The organization aggregates a diversified portfolio of artisanal and service activities: AOP Maroilles cheese production (with BIO organic certification), flamiches, plant nursery, green spaces and landscaping maintenance, equestrian services, central kitchen production of 3,500 meals per week, and a pressing service in Fourmies.

The business model is a hybrid of direct retail, Click & Collect e-commerce via WooCommerce, and B2B contracts with municipalities, businesses, and institutional clients. The technical stack is a standard WordPress/WooCommerce deployment on OVH infrastructure, with CleverReach for email marketing. The organization monetizes through product sales (cheese, plants, prepared meals), service contracts (landscaping, cemetery maintenance, pressing), and leisure/hospitality (Le Bol Vert, equestrian center). Strategic partnerships with the Parc naturel Régional de l'Avesnois and AGEFIPH anchor the activity within both protected-territory environmental management and the French regulatory framework for disability employment.

Name

Ferme du Pont de Sains

Legal name

Association Traits d'Union

Website

https://fermedupontdesains.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Ferme du Pont de Sains is a French ESAT (sheltered workshop) in Avesnois, employing nearly 180 disabled workers across four sites to produce AOP Maroilles cheese, BIO products, central kitchen meals, and deliver landscaping, equestrian, and pressing services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sheltered Employment & Agricultural Production

NAICS

Greenhouse, Nursery, and Floriculture Production (1114), Horses and Other Equine Production (112920), Sheep and Goat Farming (1124)

SIC

Dairy Products (2020), Agricultural Services (700), Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200)

akta.pro primary industry

Yogurt & Cultured Dairy (Yogurt, Kefir, Sour Cream, Cottage Cheese) (CRADACAB)

Keywords

• Organic Maroilles cheese
• Sheltered workshop employment
• Landscape maintenance services
• Greenhouse horticulture plants
• Equestrian riding lessons

Headquarters

HQ city

Féron

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Agricultural Product Sales: Direct retail sales of BIO Maroilles cheese, flamiches (traditional Picardy tarts), goat cheese, and other dairy products through the on-site boutique and online store. Also sells seasonal vegetables, ornamental plants, perennials, and nursery stock.
2. Horticultural Services: Production and sale of plants, vegetables, and floral products. Services include tomb/sepulcher maintenance and decoration, grave cleaning, and flower arrangements for cemeteries within 15km of Fourmies.
3. Green Space Creation and Maintenance: Annual maintenance contracts for landscaping, garden creation, lawn mowing, hedge trimming, tree pruning, fencing, and phytosanitary spraying for individuals, businesses, and municipalities within 50km of Fourmies.
4. Equestrian Services: Riding lessons, group sessions for schools and associations, discovery and improvement courses during school holidays, adapted horseback riding, annual subscriptions, and pay-per-session options.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

La Ferme du Pont de Sains is a French ESAT (sheltered workshop) that produces and sells AOP Maroilles cheese, traditional flamiches, organic goat cheese, and seasonal vegetables, while providing greenhouse horticulture, landscape creation and maintenance services, and equestrian activities. The farm offers Click & Collect online ordering and direct on-site retail through the Boutique de l'Avesnois, alongside B2B green space contracts for municipalities and businesses within a 50km radius of Fourmies.

Product overview

La Ferme du Pont de Sains is an ESAT (sheltered workshop) offering a diversified portfolio of agricultural products and services. The core product portfolio centers on artisanal dairy production: Maroilles Bio cheese (AOP-certified, in Sorbais, Quart, and Mignon formats) and Flamiches (traditional open-faced tarts with Maroilles, available in traditional, leek, endive, and organic variants in various weights). Supporting products include Boulette d'Avesnes, organic goat cheese, and vacuum packaging. The service arm comprises four main offerings: Serres (greenhouse horticulture with bedding plants, vegetables, and Click & Collect), Espaces Verts (landscape creation and maintenance), Centre Équestre (equestrian activities including adapted riding), and cemetery maintenance services. The company also offers seasonal vegetable baskets. Products are sold directly at the farm boutique and via the online shop.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Maroilles Bio du Pont de Sains: AOP and BIO certified Maroilles cheese produced on the farm, including varieties such as Sorbais, Quart, and Mignon, aged 6 to 8 weeks in vaulted brick cellars.
• Flamiches BIO

Products and services

• Maroilles Bio (AOP Soft Cheese) AOP (Appellation d'Origine Protégée) and BIO certified soft cheese with washed rind, made from raw whole milk and aged 6-8 weeks in vaulted brick cellars. Available in three variants: Sorbais, Quart, and Mignon. Sold to individual consumers and local food enthusiasts through the on-site boutique and online store.
• Flamiche Maroilles Traditionnelle Traditional flamiche (open-faced tart) made with brioche-style dough, garnished with Maroilles AOP cheese and cream. Available in 200g, 500g, and 600g sizes. Sold to individual consumers through the on-site boutique and online store.
• Flamiche aux Poireaux-Maroilles and Flamiche aux Endives et Maroilles Flamiche tart variants featuring leeks or endives paired with Maroilles AOP cheese, available in 300g and 600g sizes. Sold to individual consumers through the on-site boutique and online store.
• Flamiche Maroilles Bio Organic flamiche made with Maroilles AOP cheese and cream, 360g size. Sold to individual consumers seeking organic certified regional products.
• Boulette d'Avesnes and Fromage de chèvre bio nature Traditional cheese from the Avesnois region (Boulette d'Avesnes) and organic natural goat cheese from the farm's own production. Sold to individual consumers through the on-site boutique and online store.
• Horticulture et Maraîchage (Serres) Greenhouse production of ornamental plants, bedding plants, vegetable plants, and seasonal flowers, including floristry services and garden center sales with Click & Collect ordering. Sold to individual consumers, gardeners, and cemetery maintenance clients.
• Espaces Verts (Création et Entretien) Landscape creation and maintenance services including garden design, lawn installation, hedge trimming, tree pruning, weed control, fencing, and cemetery maintenance. Available within 50km of Fourmies for individuals, businesses, and municipalities. Services qualify for 50% tax credit under Article 199 sexdecies CGI for individuals, and 50% AGEFIPH quota fulfillment for businesses.
• Centre Équestre Equestrian center offering riding lessons for individuals and groups, school sessions, vacation discovery and improvement camps, adapted riding (équi-handi) for people with disabilities, and pony experiences. Facilities include stables, covered arena, arena, and lunge ring. Available with annual subscription or per-session tickets.
• Paniers de légumes (culture raisonnée) Vegetable baskets from reasoned cultivation (transitioning to organic), priced at €9.50 for a two-person basket including zucchini, salads, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and beans. Anti-waste vegetable lots also available at €3.99. Sold to individual consumers through the farm boutique.
• Entretien et décoration de sépultures Tomb and grave maintenance services including cleaning of tombs, mausoleums, and chapels; stele cleaning; white gravel replenishment; joint repair; and plant rentals. Available on annual contract within 15km of Fourmies with optional floral decoration.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 180 disabled workers employed and supported in sheltered employment with 166 authorized ESAT places
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and moderate.

• WooCommercecoreTechnology or IntegrationE-commerce platform powering the farm's online store, shopping cart functionality, and online ordering system with Click & Collect and Drive options.
• Parc naturel Régional de l'AvesnoismoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional natural park network affiliation. The farm's point of sale is affiliated with this network, enhancing its positioning as a regional terroir destination and local products outlet.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Idverde: Leading European provider of landscaping and green space services. Directly comparable to Ferme du Pont de Sains' Espaces Verts business (annual maintenance contracts, garden creation, pruning, cemetery maintenance), although Idverde operates at national/European scale and without the ESAT tax-incentive overlay.

Others

• Bonduelle: Global leader in prepared vegetables headquartered in northern France. Tangentially comparable on the maraîchage/vegetable basket line and regional Hauts-de-France proximity, though operating at industrial scale rather than artisanal farm production.
• ANDICAT: National federation of French ESAT directors and structures (Établissements et Services d'Aide par le Travail). Ecosystem peer — not a competitor but the principal industry body representing the sheltered-employment model that defines La Ferme du Pont de Sains' operating and tax framework.

Broad incumbents

• Truffaut: Major French garden center chain selling ornamental and vegetable plants, gardening supplies, and offering landscaping services. Comparable to Ferme du Pont de Sains' Serres (horticulture) and Espaces Verts lines, but at retail-chain scale nationwide.
• Savencia Fromage & Dairy: French specialty cheese group (Caprice des Dieux, St Albray, etc.). Overlaps with Ferme du Pont de Sains' artisanal cheese positioning (Boulette d'Avesnes, Maroilles) at national/international distribution scale versus the farm's regional direct-to-consumer model.
• Jardiland: Leading French garden center and pet retailer with similar horticulture and outdoor living categories. Overlaps with the farm's plant production and floral arrangement offerings.
• Lactalis: World's largest dairy company, headquartered in France, with deep cheese portfolios including Président and Galbani. Broad incumbent with overlapping cheese processing capabilities, though focused on mass-market dairy rather than artisanal AOP Maroilles.
• Fromageries Bel (Groupe Bel): Major French/European dairy and cheese manufacturer (Laughing Cow, Babybel, Kiri). Comparable as a broad cheese producer with branded CPG distribution; overlaps on the Maroilles-adjacent cheese category but at industrial scale rather than artisanal ESAT production.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/LaFermeDuPontDeSains
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ferme-du-pont-de-sains

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ferme du Pont de Sains