Construction of a bread and pizza oven at the Agrocité of Bagneux

A great moment of suspense Wednesday, August 1 during the ultimate test: the removal of the soil that held until then the vault of the bread and pizza oven! The month of participatory construction has proved itself: the dome of the oven is absolutely solid!

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Le Tour Alternatiba at the Agrocité of Bagneux

Le Tour Alternatiba stopped at the Agrocité of Bagneux on Friday 08 June! Inhabitants, associations, elected officials and cyclists were present to celebrate this event. On the program: associative stands on ecological and social initiatives, projection and debates, bicycle repair workshop, concert and multiple exchanges on common themes!

A big thank you to CRACBagneux EnvironnementMairie de Bagneux et Alternatives ValléedelaBièvre for their participation and help!

We are looking forward to welcome you at the Agrocité for the next activities and events!

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OPEN DOORS: RecycLab + Agrocité 4,5 & 6 July

RECYCLAB will be having an open door event on Friday and Saturday the 4-5 July at Colombes, boulevard d’Achères.
This Eco- Solidarity Platform introduces new strategies for the revitalisation of urban waste through ecological and socially responsible production. It is a space of co-production and work sharing between ‘makers’ of any kind (designers, architects, tinkerers, students, technologists) and a network of local actors. The space is equipped with power tools, a fablab, kitchen, offices and a large terrace under the canopy of a row of trees.

AGROCITE  will also host open door events on the 5-6 July, 4-12 Rue Jules Michelet.
Come to see the garden, participate in guided walks, ateliers, discussions and score yourself a bargain in the grand trash and treasure market where nothing is lost, all is transformed! In this marketplace the currency is ‘trash’ and one person’s trash is another’s treasure! Bring along an object, whether it be a special recipe, crafts, clothes, furniture or something you’ve baked, and exchange it for another.

The nights of the 4-5 July : Buffet associative with local products and recycled music DJs

 

 

Cooking Atelier

Last week, Agrocité was host to a cooking atelier ran by Chef Jean Jacques. He taught us how to cook with a whole chicken, leaving none to waste! He also taught us how to use over-ripe and old lettuce in tasty new ways and the arts of food decoration! Many thanks to the chef!

NEW- Café associative and Thursday lunches at Agrocité!

Agrocité has started a café associative with coffee available every Monday to Saturday, and meals available every thursday!

COFFEE

Fairtrade coffee is available from 12h – 18h Monday-Saturday at 80 cents a cup. We are currently using Feral Trade Coffee, sourced from Mexico and  brought to Agrocité through social networks, outside of commercial systems by Kate Rich, an artist and ethical trader aiming to make transparent the transactions and costs involved in the trade process. Check out the label on the back of the packet to learn about the different hands your coffee has gone through!

(http://www.feraltrade.org/cgi-bin/courier/courier.pl)

Other beverages are also on offer for 80 cents, such as our refreshing Agrocité-made elderflower syrup which perfect to relax in the garden with on a hot summer day! Locally made cakes and treats depend on availability.

MEALS

Each Thursday from 12h-14.30h, a unique, healthy meal will be made using vegetables of the garden. One plate costs 5 euros and numbers are limited so it is important to get there early. While you eat you can read about how the meal is benefitting your body and learn some helpful food facts to improve your health and nutrition, or if reading is not what your after at a lunchtime, you can sit under the pagola in the garden and embrace the serenity of nature. We also have an option of take away for those with limited time, especially if you bring your own tupperware!

The premier lunch was a hit with great reviews from customers. We made Chard and Chickpea curry, served with rice, a cucumber, mint and yoghurt raita and the option of a fresh and flavourful salad. In the images below you can see diners enjoying their meal, the nutritional information tablet provided, and two lunches packaged to go.

 

beekeeping ateliers at Agrocité

From June 4 to 7, the beekeeping season officially began at Agrocité, with initiation workshops into the arts and lives of bees!  Workshops were run by Alain, a local beekeeper who has developed a small apiary, allowing interested inhabitants to learn and practice with him.

Workers, the queen, drone, swarming, queen cells, nectar, pollen, honey, propolis are all a part of what keeps bees busy and what nourishes our planet… It is in a spirit of respect for the bee and their needs that is crucial to beekeeping, as Alain has instilled in us. We thank him and invite interested parties to make themselves known because the magic of beekeeping has only just begun!

 

 

New Residents at agrocité : birds and bees

Agrocité has become new home to a collection of beautiful chickens and busy bees!

Eight chickens have recently inhabited the coop located towards the back of Agrocité. As you can see from the pictures below, these chickens are no ordinary chickens! They come in different shapes and sizes, colours and textures-  some feathered and some fluffy, some with hair like mohawks while others with hair on feet!

The three hens pictured below arrived on the 12th of May and have already began laying beautiful eggs (which are for sale at agrocité’s non-consumerist shop selling delicious local produce)!

The other five chickens (pictured below)  arrived a week later and are younger in age, meaning they havent began laying and are still a bit shy in their new home. These chickens were given to us by a local chicken appreciation society who will soon hold an educational workshop to teach us about our new feathery friends, including how to take care of them, their different personalities (what they like and dont like), the different breeds of chickens as well as answer any questions you might have!

Keep an eye and ear out for the chicken workshop- date is soon to be announced!

 

 

The other, less cuddly but nonetheless important, residents of Agrocité are the bees! Given to us by Alan the local beekeeper, this swarm of bees have been busy settling into their new surroundings, tasting the springtime flowers and making delicious honey! More hives are to arrive in the coming weeks.

We have built an area so you can come and watch the bees do what they do from a safe enclosure, while you are free to enter the chicken coop and say hi to our new feathered friends!

See you soon!

 

Tajine workshop

On Saturday April 12th, local residents Abdel and Benôit held a tajine making workshop at Agrocité!

The day begun at 10am with headchefs teaching us the chopping, ordering and flavouring of tajine construction. At around 11.30am we prepared a barbeque of sorts, from reclaimed materials, and set them cooking until 2pm while we all sat around and watched, chatted and played in the garden.

Six tajines were made and shared between over 20 people. It was a beautiful spring saturday full of sunshine and happy bellies.

Ingredients and method:

In a large bowl mix together chicken wings (around 5 wings per tajine), a long drizzle of olive oil, chopped onion, garlic, fresh coriander, ground coriander, cumin, paprika and salt. Mix it with your hands until the chicken is well covered in spices.

Arrange the chicken in tajine base in a circular pattern, fanning outwards.

Chop into long shards potato, carrot, green and red capsicum. Arrange on the chicken fanning in a similar fashion (see pictures). Follow with the tomato.

Sprinkle a couple of handfuls of raisins, a handful of olives, fresh coriander, some of the spice mix and four prunes on top.

Put the lid on the tajine and cook until juicy and tender, check to be sure the chicken is cooked.

Enjoy!

AROMATIC GARDENS AT AGROCITÉ!

 

Celebrate spring by planting a mound of aromatic goodness at Agrocité!

The entrance to the garden has been prepared to accommodate a selection of aromatic and medicinal plants. The mound is a perfect spot for these kinds of plants as they need more heat and drought than other plants, and the slope will allow us to create different environments to suit our companions of a thousand smells!

Come and join us in planting ans sowing thyme, rosemary, lavender, sage, parsley, coriander, sorrel, comfrey …

Entry free and open to all!