LeTalus

What LeTalus does

LeTalus is a non-profit urban farm and third-place (tiers-lieu) operated by the French association HEKO FARM in Marseille's 12th arrondissement, on a ~1-hectare site made available through a 6-year renewable concession from SRL2. Founded in 2018 with construction starting in April 2018 and quasi-daily public opening in March 2019, it operates as two interconnected zones: Le Talus Jardin (permaculture, market gardening on living soil, agroforestry, educational apiary with endemic black bees, biodiversity pond, dry composting toilets, and drip irrigation with hygrometric probes) and Le Talus Village (terrace, outdoor kitchen, pétanque, playground, and event area). Activities are grounded in biologically intensive market gardening on living soil (maraîchage biologiquement-intensif sur sol vivant), with methods adapted from Jean-Martin Fortier, Curtis Stone, Eliot Coleman, and François Mulet to a Mediterranean urban context.

The organization serves Marseille residents (primarily the 12th arrondissement), local schools, and corporate clients through a diversified revenue model: direct-to-consumer vegetable self-picking (U-pick), annual free-will membership (€1 minimum, €6 suggested), garden plot rentals at €52/year for 1m², eggs at €1/€5 per box, seasonal seeds and seedlings, paid workshops, outdoor bar and vegetarian catering, and B2B venue rental for corporate events. Go-to-market is community-led: roughly 20+ institutional partners (Ville de Marseille, Région Sud, Département des Bouches-du-Rhône, ADEME, Fondation Carrefour, VINCI, EDF, SNCF, AG2R, Enercoop, LPO, ARDEPI, La Roue local currency, Société des Eaux de Marseille) plus earned media (France 3, Telerama, Le Figaro, Brut) provide funding and visibility. Pricing is solidarity-based, accepting La Roue local currency alongside CB and cash.

Le Talus is currently in a transition phase branded "Le Talus 2027," with a citizen support letter and Helloasso crowdfunding campaign to preserve operations amid the threat of the Ligne Nouvelle PACA railway project. The site is not for-profit; revenues are reinvested, and the entity explicitly aims to reach financial self-sufficiency within five years from activity revenue. A single CDI hire (Responsable développement des ressources et administration financière) is planned for August 2026, signaling gradual formalization rather than scaling.

Name

LeTalus

Legal name

HEKO FARM (Le Talus)

Website

https://letalus.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

LeTalus is a Marseille-based non-profit urban farm and community third-place offering permaculture gardening, garden plot rentals, educational workshops, and corporate event venue rental to local residents and B2B clients in the 12th arrondissement.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Urban Agriculture / Community Farming

NAICS

Landscaping Services (561730)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Outdoor Kitchens & Living Space Build-Out (Softscape Integration) (HSAIABAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Turf Care (Fertilization, Aeration & Weed/Pest Control) (IMAIAIAD), Aeration & Overseeding (Seeding, Topdressing, Renovation) (HSAIAGAD), Landscape Renovation & Re-Design (Yard Makeovers) (HSAIABAC), Sod Installation & Lawn Seeding (Turf Establishment) (HSAIAFAO)

Keywords

• Urban permaculture farming
• Community garden space
• Corporate event venue rental
• Ecological transition education
• Participatory urban agriculture

Headquarters

HQ city

Marseille

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Vente de légumes en auto-cueillette: Direct-to-consumer vegetable sales through self-picking (U-pick) model on-site at the urban farm.
2. Location de bacs potagers: Rental of 1m² garden plots for €52/year, giving renters unrestricted access to tend their plots.
3. Adhésion associative: Annual membership (valid through December 31st of each year) with price-libre/free-will payment model, suggested at €6, minimum €1. Required for all participants and consumers for insurance purposes.
4. Buvette et restauration extérieure: Seasonal outdoor bar and vegetarian food service, including baked goods.
5. Vente de semences et plants potagers: Sale of seasonal vegetable seeds and seedlings on-site during opening hours.
6. Formations et ateliers pratiques: Fees for practical workshops, formations, and initiations on gardening and ecological topics.
7. Mise à disposition du lieu pour événements d'entreprise: Venue rental for corporate events including team buildings, strategic meetings, and professional gatherings in outdoor spaces. Quote-based pricing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

LeTalus is an outdoor urban farm and third-place community space in Marseille's 12th arrondissement, combining biologically intensive market gardening on living soil, biodiversity conservation, and a community gathering area. It sells self-picked seasonal vegetables, rents 1m² garden plots, sells seeds/seedlings/eggs, hosts paid workshops and cultural programming, rents outdoor spaces for corporate events, and operates an annual associative membership (pay-what-you-can). All activities are carried out under permaculture ethics without chemical inputs or tilling.

Product overview

Le Talus is a unified urban farm and third-place community space in Marseille, comprising two main interconnected areas: Le Talus Jardin (the agricultural garden featuring agroforestry, market gardening on living soil, biodiversity zones, and direct vegetable sales via self-harvesting) and Le Talus Village (the social hub with terraces, outdoor kitchen, and event spaces). The offering also includes rentable 1m² garden plots, professional venue rental services, cultural programming, and a public resource hub with educational materials. All activities are conducted under permaculture principles with a focus on ecological transition.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Le Talus Jardin (Urban Farm)

Quantifiable outcome

• Water savings of 8L per flush through dry composting toilets
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Société des Eaux de MarseillecoreOthersWater utility providing the site's water connection via a 'Espace Vert' (green space) contract. Le Talus is exploring a 'Biodiversité' contract given the nature of its activities.
• ARDEPI (Association Régionale pour la Maîtrise des Irrigations)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to install hygrometric probes and precisely measure water consumption for optimal irrigation without waste.
• YoyominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for PET1 plastic bottle recycling, sending bottles to innovative sorting facilities.
• RecyclopminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for cigarette butt recycling, transforming them into innovative construction materials.
• LPO (Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides guidance on bird and bat feeders and nest boxes, supporting the site's biodiversity objectives.
• La Roue (Monnaie locale Marseillaise)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLe Talus accepts the local La Roue currency as payment, supporting the local complementary currency ecosystem.
• HelloassocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPlatform used for membership subscriptions, crowdfunding campaigns, and donations.
• Service CiviquecoreOthersHost organization for Service Civique volunteers, providing civic engagement opportunities.
• EnercoopminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRenewable energy cooperative providing green electricity supply.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Fermes d'Avenir: French association and network supporting agroecology and small/midsize farms through funding, technical assistance, and policy advocacy. Comparable as a French non-profit ecosystem actor in ecological transition and permaculture/agroecology, though functioning as a network/funder rather than an operating site.

Direct peers

• La Recyclerie: Paris-based community third place on a former railway site, combining a bar/restaurant, co-working, cultural programming, and ecological transition workshops. Comparable in combining ecological mission, urban site reuse, participatory workshops, and B2B/cultural event programming.
• Le 100e Singe: Third-place / tiers-lieu in Toulouse combining urban agriculture, biodiversity, community workshops, and a bar/restaurant. Closest direct peer to Le Talus in terms of the hybrid urban farm + community gathering model and participatory governance approach.
• La Ferme du Bonheur: Urban farm and cultural space in Paris (Parc de Belleville area) integrating market gardening, biodiversity, cultural programming, and a food/beverage offering. Directly comparable in combining small-scale urban agriculture with strong cultural/community programming on a single site.
• La Prairie du Canal: Large urban agricultural and community project in Bobigny on the Canal de l'Ourcq, combining market gardening, biodiversity zones, cultural programming, and educational activities. Comparable in being a public-facing urban farm with educational, biodiversity, and community missions on a single site.

Emerging players

• Topager: Paris-based urban agriculture company specializing in rooftop farms, edible walls, and market gardening installations for institutions, companies, and cities. Comparable on the urban market gardening and living-soil agronomy side, though more B2B/installation-focused than community-led.
• Sous les Fraises: French urban agriculture company producing berries and vegetables on Parisian rooftops with a strong ecological and local-food positioning. Comparable as a French urban farming operation with sustainability branding, though more product/commercial than community-tiers-lieu.
• Agripolis: French urban farming company operating rooftop and ground-level farms for corporate, institutional, and municipal clients. Comparable in the urban farming and circular-economy positioning, though primarily a B2B operator rather than a community/educational space.
• Cycloponics: French urban agriculture company operating mushroom and microgreens farms in repurposed underground spaces (former WWII bunkers) under the La Caverne brand. Comparable in the urban agriculture / circular economy mission and Paris/French footprint, though focused on production rather than community programming.

Broad incumbents

• La Ferme de Gally: Established family-run educational farm and garden center in the Paris region (with multiple sites) offering pick-your-own produce, educational visits, and event spaces. Comparable on the U-pick agricultural model, family/educational programming, and on-site event hosting, though at a much larger and more commercial scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCdxPL5MFwPegNmARogXgodw
• Facebookfacebook.com/leTalusMarseille
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/letalus
• Instagraminstagram.com/letalusmarseille

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 LeTalus