After training in Paris to become a sports teacher, Patrick Baronnet left the capital with his wife Brigitte in 1973 and moved to Moisdon-la-Rivière, a rural community of birdsong and flat fields between Rennes and Nantes.
Patrick taught in a secondary school in nearby Châteaubriant and the couple bought a small cottage where they planted vegetables and started to garden organically: this was the beginning of a lifelong passion.
“We never set out to be radical, we simply had a rather modest, fanciful idea of growing our own food,” said Patrick, “then the idea evolved into living off the land and being fully self-sufficient.
"We’re now in our late seventies, we haven’t paid an electricity bill for 40 years, or a water bill for 53 years – and I guarantee that the water tastes far better without those added chemicals!”
Gradually, alongside harvesting their own crops, Patrick and Brigitte started collecting rainwater and introducing renewable energy, building their own prototype solar cells because, at the time, solar panels were not commercially available.
“It was a risk,” said Patrick, “and when we told EDF to cut off the electricity, we crossed our fingers, but we’ve never regretted it – we’ve never had a power cut or run out of water!
The couple's house has all the essentialsAnnaliza Davis
“In 1983, we set up one of the first organic co-ops with five or six friends, swapping produce on a small, neighbourly scale. Fifty years ago, people couldn’t understand what we were trying to do, but we followed our hearts, adapting the house and garden along the way.”
The couple had two sons and two daughters, extending the house to accommodate the family.
Ad
While they may not have a dishwasher, the cottage has all the essentials, including a washing machine, a stove with a boiler, a solar-powered water heater, a composting ‘dry’ toilet and a system for collecting rainwater that is then filtered to be drinkable.
Attached to the cottage is a generous greenhouse that, along with polytunnels, vegetable patches and fruit trees, provide most of the food that Patrick and Brigitte need.
“We don’t really eat meat,” said Patrick. “Around three-quarters of what we eat comes from the garden, including eggs from our chickens.
"For 25 years, while the children lived at home, we used to bake our own bread, too. Now, all we need to buy are a few cereals such as rice, some olive oil, cheese, and a little wine!”
Initially, the cottage had 1,700m² of grounds, but this gradually increased to their current 9,000m² as neighbouring farmers retired and wanted Patrick and Brigitte to take on their fields so they could still be worked traditionally.
The Zome hosts conferences and eventsAnnaliza Davis
Within the grounds, you will now find a fascinating circular structure known as the Zome, where the couple holds conferences and events, and the rectangular building known as ‘3E’ (for économique, écologique, entraide – economical, ecological and mutual assistance).
Near the Druid garden, is also a delightful, hobbit-style building known as Le Love Shack, an 18m² structure made from raw earth, straw and bamboo.
These dwellings are not used as holiday homes, but rather accommodate people who come to learn more about self-sufficiency.
“Over the years, we’ve probably welcomed around 100,000 visitors from all over the world,” said Patrick. “Some come for a four-hour visit to learn about the site, some stay for weekends or workshops, and some stay for longer because they’re preparing for their own projects.”
After testing and experimenting, Patrick and Brigitte concluded that 12m² of solar panels would provide enough energy for nine months, and that an additional wind turbine covered the shortfall for the long winter months of inland Brittany.
“We can happily live on three kilowatt hours per person per day,” said Patrick, “but many people use more than 20, so the first step is to take a serious look at how much energy you use, and how much you really need.
Le Love ShackAnnaliza Davies
“Even the word ‘human’ is connected with humus, the Latin for the earth, and we felt we should be living in this cycle: we work the earth and it gives back to us, it nourishes us. We wanted to live as lightly as possible on this earth in the time we have.”
For around 20 years, the couple were seen as hippies and dreamers, but they were simply ahead of their time.
Eco-friendly living has become increasingly popular, and over the past three years, even the Grandes Ecoles have been sending people to this self-sufficient home to learn more.
“We’ve shown that it’s possible to be happy with less; this need for more comes from our consumer society, but you don’t have to copy what’s happening elsewhere.
"It's up to each of us to choose a different way of life, by eating healthily and building our homes differently. Our lifestyle is a personal commitment and a credible, reproducible way of life. To be frank, the goal is not to be quirky at all; if self-sufficient living were the norm, wouldn’t that be wonderful?”
In terms of budget, Patrick insisted: “It’s not about the figures. It’s about your situation and what level of comfort you’re prepared to accept.”
He added: “Even if you could build a place like this for €50,000, can a 25-year-old get a loan for that amount, and could they even repay it? Unfortunately, the whole system is designed to keep all our energies focused on how we pay our bills.”
To build a self-sufficient home, Patrick recommends choosing a plot with a well or stream in an area where wood is plentiful and will cost less; he recommends building with wood rather than stone, as it is quicker to construct and easier to heat.
For solar panels, you can get a free quote from EDF ENR, or buy kits you can install yourself, such as the 9-panel 5kw Homekit from Leroy Merlin for €6,500.
Two of Patrick’s children live in yurts, and a four-season, 53m² yurt from La Yourte Française costs €24,950.
