Agretain

Project Reference Number: ERASMUS-EDU-2024-PI-ALL-INNO-101140260

Duration: 36 months

Project Start Date: 01 February 2024

Project Finish Date: 31 January 2027

TUS Project Budget: €234,755

Total Project Budget: €1,114,901

Agretain – Regenerative Sustainable Food Chains Through Market Gardening

Combining the efforts of universities and enterprises (VET providers, farmer consultants), research institutes and social actors to open up new learning opportunities for the embedding of more resilient, sustainable/environmental friendly, soil regenerative practices in small scale farming for farmers and people who want to start growing vegetables. Market gardening is a method of vegetable growing in which fresh produce is grown on a small scale and sold directly to local markets and consumers. It focuses on a wider variety of vegetable varieties to produce a broader range of products. Crops are grown in both open fields and greenhouses to extend the season and maximize yield. Products are then sold directly to local markets, restaurants and consumers for greater control over quality and price. Market gardening is often seen as sustainable and environmentally friendly because it uses no pesticides, and is energy efficient.

Project Objectives and Aims:

• Develop new teaching methods and learning material in the field of market gardening.
• Develop a curriculum for students, neo farmers and farming practitioners.
• Open up new learning opportunities for the embedding of more resilient, sustainable/ environmental friendly, soil regenerative practices in small scale farming.

Project Key Outputs:

• Curriculum for VET education in EQF level 5 
• 12-20 LUs developed (6 different types of learning material, Learning material in 4 languages) 
• e-learning platform (OER) in 4 languages  
• Interactive map available on the AGRETAIN website, specific information for min. 10 selected regions in terms of soil, water resources, humidity, temperature etc. 
• 8 Farm portraits per partner country developed upon the selected regions specialties and/or regions with similar specialties 
• 5 Market Gardening Hubs established 

List of Partners:

• Technological University of the Shannon Region: SDRI (Ireland)
• Syncnify: Consulting Agency (France)
• ReadLab: Research Innovation and Development Lab (Greece)
• PETRARCA: European Academy for Landscape Culture (Germany)
• Ver de Terre Production: Research and Development Organisation
• Urs Mauk: ReLaVisio Consulting Company (Germany)
• Olympic Training & Consulting Ltd (OT/P2): Vocational Education and Training
• GRAND FARM: 90 hectare research and demonstration farm
• The University of the Peloponnese (Greece)

Project Main Contacts

Name: Dr. Marie Taylor email: marie.taylor@tus.ie 

Name: Yvonne Doyle email: Yvonne.doyle@tus.ie  

Further Information

LinkedIn: (3) AGRETAIN: Posts | LinkedIn