Description
Jérôme Hary — A Pioneering Farmer in Agroecology
My name is Jérôme Hary, and I’m a farmer based in Abancourt, in the Nord department, in the heart of the Hauts-de-France region. For years, I’ve been working to demonstrate that a more sustainable, vibrant, and economically viable form of agriculture is not only possible but necessary.
My Education and Roots
After completing my agricultural studies in farm management, I first worked at a large agricultural IT company.
I took over the family farm in Abancourt in 1998, where I primarily grow sugar beets for Tereos, fiber flax, grains, and legumes.
Elected to the Tereos Sugar Beet Cooperative, I had the opportunity to complete a training program in cooperative management (the Sénèque Program) at ESSEC Business School. I have applied this training in other cooperative entities where I hold leadership roles, as well as within my own business.
The Turning Point
Before I took over the farm, crop rotations followed a very traditional pattern for the sector: sugar beets, wheat, and barley. My soils, heavy loams, could pose major problems during heavy rains, sometimes developing very pronounced crusts. It was this observation that led me to first question my tillage practices and very quickly focus on improving soil fertility.
So in 1998, I stopped plowing
In 2001, I started a business with a colleague to collect and compost plant waste, which, until 2011, allowed me to apply large amounts of “homemade” compost.
Very early on, I also began using cover crops between main crops, with more than 6 to 7 species.
In concrete terms, the organic matter content of my soils has risen from 1.8% in 1998 to 3% today.
With increased porosity, heightened biological activity, and the ability to store water during droughts or absorb it during heavy rains, my land no longer behaves as it did before.
Toward resilience!
My collective commitment
I deeply believe in collective intelligence. I chair the CUMA des Quatre Chemins in Abancourt, through which we have invested in an “Ecopulv” localized spray boom that allows us to reduce herbicide use on beets and rapeseed by up to 66%, combined with mechanical inter-row weeding.
The creation of HARY’S LAB
It was in this spirit that HARY’S LAB was born, a young startup I co-founded with my daughter Emma and her partner Loï. Based on my farm, this organization’s mission is to bring together, raise awareness among, and support those who want to work toward a more sustainable and desirable agriculture.
We are developing three main areas of activity: agricultural communications consulting to highlight positive initiatives and the people behind them; an agricultural hub dedicated to testing innovative agronomic and ecological solutions; and a hospitality initiative to create unique experiences and revitalize our region.
My Voice in the Transition
I am also actively involved in the major debates shaping the future of our industry. I helped launch the Covalo initiative, spearheaded by the “Pour une Agriculture du Vivant” movement, which brings together farmers, cooperatives, agri-food stakeholders, and financial actors around the agroecological transition in the Hauts-de-France region. My conviction is clear: “Sector-wide approaches are nothing new. The innovation with Covalo is its cross-sectoral nature! We take crop rotation into account in its entirety. Calculations at the farm level allow us to assess all agronomic criteria.”
In 2026, my teams at HARY’S LAB also supported Crédit Agricole Nord de France at the International Agricultural Show, working together to promote the transition to regenerative agriculture.
What drives me
I am an unwavering optimist about the future of my profession, and I am so happy to share my knowledge and learn alongside young people. My farm has become an open laboratory—a place for experimentation and connection—where farmers, businesses, and anyone with a curiosity about the field come to find practical solutions for building the agriculture of tomorrow.
