Mireille Auda

“I wanted to work where I was born”

This family farm has been cultivating its land in Gattières for almost a century and now grows aromatic herbs, edible flowers, and baby salad leaves. Local.

“We must cultivate our garden,” wrote Voltaire. And this is the task that Mireille Auda seems to be tackling. “I didn’t think I would be in this profession, and I first went to ‘Sup de Co’ (business school). The discourse at that time was uncompromising. You needed to be in Paris if you wanted a career and a good salary! But nothing was more important than my quality of life. So, I said no, and decided to stay here. Together with her brother, she is the third generation to run this family business founded by her grandfather Marius and her grandmother. And a fourth generation is already waiting in the wings – her niece already works there. Mireille Auda is committed to defending local agriculture: “There is little flat and fertile land in the department. We are in the Var Valley, and Gattières is still a predominantly agricultural area. But Nice is at the bottom of this valley, where land is scarce, and you are battling with builders.”  

The shift to clean agriculture

This leader is a force for change in the small world of agriculture: “I had to find my place as a woman in this sector. There have always been farmers’wives, but the fact that there are women farmers is more recent. While a hierarchy is essential for a business to function, I prefer concentric circle management where everyone can be involved and bring in good ideas.” The company practices agriculture with minimal use of phytosanitary products: “Aromatic herbs are minor use crops – there are only a few hectares planted – so the big laboratories don’t request many certificates of conformity. We don’t do organic farming, but we practice highly sustainable agriculture, knowing that only a few products are available, and we must limit their use to avoid causing addiction.” She concludes: “Not having had any agricultural training means I perhaps have fewer prejudices. For example, we started using slurries from plants such as nettles, although this was not common practice. It worked and allowed us to avoid pesticides.” A dialogue with the living, which, as we know, demands a lot of humility.

Marius Auda

The company, founded in 1936 by Marius Audam, began by breeding dairy cows and evolved in response to market demand. It rapidly switched to market gardening – large, traditional vegetables such as Niçoise chard, lettuce, celery, and artichokes. With the advent of nouvelle cuisine, she turned to edible flowers and aromatic herbs. Produce that can be found locally in the region’s upmarket restaurants, convenience stores and major supermarkets, where demand for local produce has increased since the COVID-19 crisis.

Création : 1936

Localisation : Gattières

Activité : Agriculture

Directrice : Mireille Auda

Collaborateurs : 35 permanents / 7 à 8 saisonniers