Association Graines de Fermiers

What Association Graines de Fermiers does

Association Graines de Fermiers is a French non-profit association (Loi 1901) founded in 2009 and headquartered at 70 Boulevard Virgile Barel in Nice, with a second operational site at a pedagogical farm in Peille in the arrière-pays Niçois. Registered in the répertoire national des associations under W062000990 and directed since inception by Violette Pessi, the organisation delivers environmental education to urban populations through three integrated service lines: an outdoor leisure centre (centre de loisirs plein air) for children aged 3–11 running at three Nice school sites on Wednesdays and school holidays; a pedagogical farm hosting family visits, workshops, themed events and animal-assisted therapy sessions on Saturdays (closed seasonally from 4 November to 31 March); and a network of shared urban gardens (jardins partagés) across at least five Nice neighbourhoods (L'Ariane/La Panpa, Cimiez/Ratti, St Roch, Le Folio, Jardin Trachel) where residents rent plots for vegetable cultivation and composting.

The underlying 'technology' is essentially methodological rather than digital: environmental-education curricula, animal-assisted mediation (médiation animale) for EHPADs, IME, SESSAD and day hospitals, eco-citizenship animations delivered at the foot of apartment buildings (pied d'immeuble) in priority neighbourhoods, Service Civique civic training for external volunteers, and composting-area setup and user training. The commercial stack comprises a public website (grainesdefermiers.org) and the HelloAsso third-party platform for donations and event registration; no proprietary software, mobile applications, APIs or AI components were identified.

The business model blends fee-for-service activities (€20 per adult-and-child for a two-hour family farm visit, €10 per child for craft workshops, €12 per child for themed events such as Halloween or Easter egg hunts, plus custom-quote private bookings for birthdays, school groups and corporate team-building), recurring garden-plot rentals, two-day paid civic-training sessions for Service Civique volunteers, and tax-deductible donations enabled by its 'association d'intérêt général' status. The customer base is distributed across families with young children, urban residents of priority neighbourhoods (L'Ariane, Paillons, Turin, Roquebière, St Roch), care institutions, school groups and community gardeners, with approximately 10 salaried employees and a volunteer board of directors. No funding rounds, M&A activity, patents, trademarks or formal awards were disclosed.

Name

Association Graines de Fermiers

Legal name

Graines de Fermiers

Website

https://grainesdefermiers.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Association Graines de Fermiers is a Nice-based non-profit founded in 2009 that delivers environmental education through an outdoor leisure centre, a pedagogical farm in Peille, and shared urban gardens. It serves families, urban residents in priority neighbourhoods, and care institutions, funded by activity fees, garden rentals, and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Education and Community Leisure Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Landscaping Services (56173)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDACADAD

Nature-Based / Forest School Early Learning Programs

Education/Early Childhood Education/Early Learning Academies & Montessori/Reggio/Steiner Programs

SECONDARYTHAAAOAA

Outdoor & Wilderness Education Schools (Field-Based Learning)

Travel & Hospitality/Adventure, Amusement Parks & Ecotourism/Educational Adventure Programs (Outdoor Education, Skill Development)

SECONDARYBPABALAK

Sustainability Engagement, Training & Behavior Change Programs (On-site)

Business & Public Services/Facilities Management & Building Services/Waste, Recycling & Sustainability Programs (On-site)

SECONDARYEDACACAH

Outdoor / Nature-Based Nursery & Forest Playgroups

Education/Early Childhood Education/Nursery Schools & Playgroups

Keywords

• Environmental education services
• Outdoor leisure programs
• Pedagogical farm visits
• Urban shared gardens
• Animal-assisted therapy

Headquarters

HQ city

Nice

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Activity fees and farm visits: Fees charged for family farm visits, workshops, events (Halloween, Easter), animal-assisted therapy sessions, and private bookings (birthdays, school groups, corporate team-building).
2. Garden plot rental: Residents rent shared garden parcels in various Nice neighbourhoods, contributing to operational costs.
3. Donations and public funding: As an association d'intérêt général, the organisation receives donations reinvested directly into actions, and likely qualifies for public grants and subsidies.
4. Service Civique civic training: Agréée Service Civique, hosting volunteers from other structures for 2-day civic and citizenship training on sustainable development topics.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Association Graines de Fermiers delivers nature-based environmental education and leisure services in the Nice region, integrating three core activities: an outdoor leisure center (centre de loisirs plein air) for children aged 3–11 on Wednesdays and school holidays; a pedagogical farm in Peille hosting family visits, themed events (Halloween, Easter), workshops, birthdays, school-group visits, and corporate team-building; and a network of urban shared gardens across multiple Nice neighborhoods offering resident plot rentals and composting. Supplementary paid offerings include animal-assisted therapy for care institutions (EHPAD, IME, SESSAD, day hospitals), eco-citizenship neighborhood animations, composting-area setup and training, and two-day civic training for Service Civique volunteers.

Product overview

Association Graines de Fermiers operates as a unified environmental education organization in Nice, France, consisting of three interconnected service offerings: a center de loisirs plein air (outdoor leisure center) for children ages 3-11 providing nature-based activities on Wednesdays and school holidays; a ferme pédagogique (pedagogical farm) in Peille offering family visits, workshops, animal mediation, and seasonal events; and a network of jardins partagés (shared urban gardens) across multiple Nice neighborhoods for resident cultivation and composting. Additional services include eco-citizenship animations in priority neighborhoods, civic training for Service Civique volunteers, and animal-assisted therapy for care facilities. All activities are designed to promote environmental awareness, social cohesion, and sustainable practices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Centre de loisirs plein air Outdoor leisure center for children aged 3–11, operating on Wednesdays and during school holidays at school sites across Nice (Ecole Joué Garibaldi/Port, Ecole Ray Gorbella, EHPAD La Colline). Activities emphasize autonomy, socialization, and environmental education through daily outdoor programming in gardens, parks, and the pedagogical farm.
• Ferme pédagogique Pedagogical farm located in Peille (4835 Rte de la Grave, 06440 Peille), in the arrière-pays Niçois, hosting family and group visits, craft workshops, animal-assisted therapy sessions, themed events (Halloween, Easter), birthday parties, and corporate team-building. Open seasonally (closed 4 November to 31 March), reservations on Saturdays.
• Jardins partagés (Shared urban gardens) Network of shared urban gardens across five Nice locations (LA PANPA at l'Ariane; RATTI at Cimiez; ST ROCH; LE FOLIO rooftop; JARDIN TRACHEL rooftop) where residents rent plots to cultivate vegetables and practice composting in environmentally respectful conditions, supported by named garden managers and regular group workshops.
• Animations pied d'immeuble (Neighborhood eco-citizenship animations) Eco-citizenship and urban gardening animations delivered at the foot of apartment buildings in priority neighborhoods of Nice (Paillons, Nice Centre, Palais des Expositions), in partnership with VALDOCCO Nice and other local actors, aimed at improving living environments and fostering community engagement.
• Formation civique et citoyenne Two-day civic and citizen training delivered to volunteers from other Service Civique host structures, covering education for sustainable development and consumer society topics. The association is agréée Service Civique and is authorized to deliver this mandatory training.
• Gestion d'aires de compostage (Composting area setup and support) Setup, user training, and ongoing maintenance support for composting areas, delivered by certified compost guides ("guides composteurs") of the association to local residents and organizations in Nice.
• Médiation animale (Animal-assisted therapy) Animal-assisted therapy sessions delivered either at the pedagogical farm or on-site at EHPAD retirement homes, IME specialized-education facilities, SESSAD support services, and day hospitals, using animal–human interactions to improve psychological and emotional well-being. Sessions require custom quotes and are booked via email.

Quantifiable outcome

• Farm visit satisfaction — families report children learning and discovering nature with enthusiasm
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• VALDOCCO NiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with VALDOCCO Nice to animate a collective garden space at the Palais des Expositions area, offering eco-citizen and urban gardening activities.
• Côte d'Azur HabitatcoreOthersCôte d'Azur Habitat provides space for the St Roch shared garden (behind offices at 70 bd Virgile Barel) and the Le Folio rooftop garden (17-21 Av. Raymond Comboul), enabling urban residents to cultivate collectively.
• LogiremminorOthersLogirem provides rooftop space at 33 rue Trachel for the Jardin Trachel shared garden, where residents cultivate autonomously with regular group workshops.
• Ville de Nice et MétropolecoreOthersThe City of Nice and its metropolis provide land for the La Panpa shared garden at 171 bd de l'Ariane and the Ratti garden at 1 Rue Ratti in Cimiez, supporting urban agriculture in priority neighbourhoods.
• Service CiviqueminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgréée Service Civique, the association hosts volunteers from other welcoming structures for 2-day civic and citizenship training on sustainable development topics.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Réseau Cocagne: National network of organic gardening and social-inclusion associations operating shared gardens and maraîchage biologique. Directly overlaps with Graines de Fermiers' shared urban gardens and eco-citizenship activities.
• Fédération Française des Foyers Ruraux: Federation of rural associations delivering leisure, environmental education, and community animation in rural/peri-urban areas. Closely comparable to Graines de Fermiers' pedagogical farm, leisure, and community-cohesion activities.
• La Ligue de l'Enseignement: France's largest federation of associations for popular education, leisure centres, and civic training. Operates a parallel network of centres de loisirs, civic training programmes, and educational associations — directly comparable in mission, structure, and target audiences to Graines de Fermiers.
• Union Nationale des Centres Permanents d'Initiatives pour l'Environnement (CPIE): Federation of CPIE associations delivering environmental education, awareness programmes, and nature-based activities across France. Directly comparable in non-profit environmental education mandate and pedagogical approach.
• Les Petits Débrouillards: National association running hands-on science and environment education activities for children and youth, with strong nature and eco-citizenship focus. Highly comparable to Graines de Fermiers' environmental-education positioning for young audiences.
• Association Française d'Agriculture Urbaine Professionnelle (AFAUP): Network promoting professional urban agriculture in France, including shared gardens and rooftop cultivation. Directly comparable to Graines de Fermiers' shared urban garden model across Nice neighbourhoods.

Broad incumbents

• Office Central de la Coopération à l'École (OCCE): National cooperative network supporting school cooperative activities and educational projects, including nature and environmental themes. Comparable to Graines de Fermiers' school-group farm visit programme but at broader educational scale.
• Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux (LPO): Major French wildlife and environmental NGO with education programmes and managed natural sites. Overlaps with Graines de Fermiers on environmental education and nature-based activities but operates at much larger national scale and broader scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/association-graines-de-fermiers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Association Graines de Fermiers