The family garden is found in Bouregreg, a village on the banks of the river of the same name, found half way between Rabat and Salè, in the Sidi Hmida district. The crops are found in a large piece of land of about two hectares, on the grounds of the “Les Coteaux du Bouregreg” company, where a project focused on ecological agriculture and farming techniques has been in place since 2010.
The garden is managed by a married couple: the husband, who is a gardener, works with his wife – Nadia Benmoussa – with the harvesting and drying of countless varieties of aromatic plants: there are four different kinds of mint, verbena, marjoram, thyme, basil, lemongrass and chamomile.
There are also several different fruit trees, among which the figs, pomegranates, and lemons are particularly abundant, though there are also peach, apricot, almond, and loquat trees. All of the fertilizers are 100% natural. Several kinds of seeds are reproduced directly on the grounds, like those for lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, leeks, onions, radishes, and carrots. The plants are protected from parasites with preventive treatments made from ground nettles and garlic (depending on the seasons). The cultivation techniques fully respect biodiversity and the environment, with renewable energy being used in the garden (100% solar powered). A reservoir has been created in order to gather water for the garden’s irrigation, which is used in a “drip” irrigation system. The agro-ecological project also includes 20 bee hives and the presence of some areas that have purposefully been left un-cultivated.
The products are used by the family and sold on the local market, in part. Another part is sold to local restaurants that sell organic dishes, with one in particular: the Ch’hiwates du terroir restaurant, founded by Nadia and her friend Dounia Bennani (Restaurant Ch’hiwates du terroir 7, Rue d’Oran, Hassan, Rabat, 00 212 5 37 26 26 28), which replenishes its supplies of organic products from the garden.
For more information, see: www.facebook.com/chhiwatesduterroir
Area
Bouregreg village, Shoul plateau, Bouregreg valley, Rabat-Salé region
Coordinator
Nadia Benmoussa