Q&A WITH ADRIEN GABILLET, CO-FOUNDER OF AGRIVILLAGE
AgriVillage could be thought of as the Airbnb of agriculture. Adrien and Antoine founded the start-up after they realized how people living in the city were ignorant of farmers’ daily lives. Thus, their platform favor agritourism by putting farmers and city-dwellers wishing to stay in the countryside.
These stays allow to raise awareness on the importance to preserve nature in people who have rare connections with it. Activities offered by farmers can be centered around food.
In order to put this green innovation forward, we met its co-founder: Adrien Gabillet.
What motivations usually animate city-dwellers who decide to vacation in a farm?
People who book stays through AgriVillage usually wish to savor a moment of peace, far from the urban agitation and take advantage of it to discover farming.
Indeed, each stay counts an hour and a half activity with the farmer hosting them. It could be a visit of the farm, a tasting of local products or participation to an agricultural activity such as milking and feeding animals.
This unique experience allows farmers and city-dwellers to have precious interactions.
What are the advantages for farmers who put their cottages on your platform?
French people have gradually moved away from our countryside. Today, more and more farmers feel misunderstood. We offer them the opportunity to showcase their daily life by putting them in contact with people who want to discover their profession and experience life on the farm.
Moreover, we take care of all administrative management, communication, sales, reservations and invoicing. This allows farmers to propose stays or activities in optimal conditions, in a remunerated way and without time constraints.
What impact do you think staying on a farm could have on visitors from the city?
Experiencing a stay at a farm means discovering good local products, understanding the importance of farmers… and getting a much more realistic idea of how everything we eat is produced.
It also means discovering a simpler lifestyle and healthier eating habits that can inspire visitors to change their own habits and pay more attention to what they eat, for example by learning how to cook vegetables and other local products.
What are the benefits of discovering farm products for visitors?
Farm products are often extremely appreciated because they are much tastier and more refined than products from the food industry. However, we rarely have the reflex to shop in local stores that offer these kinds of products.
We hope that people who experience a stay at the farm will be able to rediscover the wonders of farm products and thus change their buying habits so that they can continue to consume farm products even after they return home.
What future do you envision for agritourism, especially given the current situation?
In these uncertain times, many French people are becoming more and more aware of the importance of being able to feed themselves locally. Some of them even regained a taste for cooking with fresh produce.
As they were obligated to vacation in the country, they have been able to rediscover its beauty, especially those of our countryside!
Faced with this strong demand for agritourism, we launched a new project: stays in “Tiny Houses” installed by us on farms.
If you wish to book a vacation in the countryside or more information about AgriVillage, you can consult their website or their Instagram account.
