Richard became deeply passionate about seeds in the spring of 1997 when some leeks that he had left in his field went to seed. Those seeds allowed him to replace a cultivar that was no longer featured in catalogs. Later, in 2006, the same thing happened with French shallots. It was a Jersey-type shallot that, unlike the small grey shallots, can reproduce itself. After mildew spread to the bulbs, Richard decided to only pursue propagation through seeds. As a producer, he was also interested in finding an alternative to the expansive commercial hybrids and sharing it with other producers. That led to Val-aux-Vents shallot seeds being offered for the first time in 2010 in the Société des Plantes catalog.

Since 2020, SeedChange’s regional office has been collaborating with Richard to document his knowledge. “SeedChange is offering me support to create a seed production itinerary for French shallots that should establish the foundations to collectively improve our methods. It’s possible to produce viable seeds with open field methods, but the results are far superior when working with tunnels, in terms of both quantity and quality (caliber and germination rate). In the same way, the selection of larger seed-bearing bulbs has also led to significant gains”, explains Richard. 

“I also had the pleasure of being interviewed for a podcast in the summer of 2020, an experience that allowed me to broaden my perspective on the migration of my business, Ferme Val-aux-Vents (1996), from vegetable production to seed selection and production”, adds Richard. That documentation was the first step in sharing his knowledge and getting really involved in the region’s seed community. Over time, more resources have been shared (see links and resources section, below.) 

“Once again thanks to the regional coordinator, I was able to be part of a panel for two events dedicated to allium seed production. The first event was organised by NOFA and allowed me to summarise my procedures and to establish contact with Fedco Seeds for the possible distribution of my original French shallot line. Taking part in this event was the tipping point that led to conducting trials with this American seed producer, who decided to offer Val-aux-Vents shallot seeds to his clientele in 2022. The second event was hosted by SeedChange and allowed me to establish relations with other allium seed producers.”