Terres d'AÏGO, a place to breathe in nature

Project: “A Place to Breathe at Terres d’AÏGO”

We’ve been based since 2017 on a 4-hectare micro-farm in Die, in the Drôme region. Our farm combines organic farming, vegetable gardening, an orchard, small-scale livestock raising, tourist lodging, and educational activities. It already hosts WWOOFers and interns and previously housed an alternative elementary school for 20 children.

Our current goal is to develop a social program for children—primarily ages 4 to 11—in small groups or individually, for day programs or short stays. The project aims to provide a safe, calming environment close to nature. The children could gradually regain a sense of routine, confidence, independence, and well-being.

The farm serves as the main setting for the program: an orchard, vegetable garden, chicken coop, natural pond, woods, cabins, animals, and outdoor spaces. The activities offered would be tailored to the children’s needs and interests: gardening, harvesting, cooking, exploring nature, building cabins or birdhouses, nature walks, educational projects, and creative activities.

As a farmer, I draw on my experience in agriculture, education, and community work, particularly the four years I spent with an alternative school serving children who sometimes have behavioral challenges. This experience has helped me develop active listening skills, empathy, kindness, patience, adaptability, and self-control.

The program runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with activities introduced gradually and tailored to each child’s needs. Meals are shared together in a family-like atmosphere. Occasional overnight stays are also available for a single child, in a personalized setting.

We would like to work in collaboration with local educational and social services and begin with regular, individualized sessions to build a relationship of trust with the children.

In summary: Terres d’AÏGO aims to transform a farm already dedicated to agriculture, education, and hosting into a place of renewal for vulnerable children, where nature, animals, working the land, and daily life serve as tools to help them rediscover peace of mind, confidence, independence, and the joy of being a child. The project is based on a central idea: “caring for the earth, caring for people.”