{"id":6264,"date":"2023-07-13T11:08:43","date_gmt":"2023-07-13T10:08:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bacsac.com\/journal\/?p=6264"},"modified":"2023-07-18T14:11:11","modified_gmt":"2023-07-18T13:11:11","slug":"les-ollas-portrait-de-la-poterie-jamet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bacsac.com\/journal\/en\/les-ollas-portrait-de-la-poterie-jamet\/","title":{"rendered":"Olla watering pots: a profile of Poterie Jamet"},"content":{"rendered":"

An age-old irrigation system, the Olla (or Oya) is a microporous terracotta pot that acts like an underground reservoir and releases water into the soil according to the needs of surrounding plants. At BACSAC, we have chosen to distribute ollas<\/a> from Poterie Jamet<\/a>. These professional-quality irrigation pots are made entirely by hand in their family workshop in Loudun (in the Vienne department of France).<\/p>\n

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\u00a9Elodie Villalon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Poterie Jamet<\/a> : three generations of know-how and expertise passed down through the years<\/h2>\n

Born into a line of master potters going back three generations, Laurent Jamet has managed to preserve the manufacture of mitres and lanterns for fireplaces - the family's original activity - while at the same time writing a new page in its history with the production of olla watering pots. Laurent, whose father Daniel founded the company in 1974, took over the reins of the pottery in 2005, and a few years later set about reviving this ancient irrigation technique.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A long period of research and development followed, during which Laurent tested different clay blends and perfected the recipe for his own clay. To give shape and size to his ollas and test their effectiveness, he enlisted the help of two vegetable growers specialised in permaculture - Xavier Mathias, a farmer and instructor in the kitchen garden at the Ch\u00e2teau de Versailles, and Cl\u00e9ment Barret, creator of the experimental garden at Thouars - and quickly gained the support of the towns of Nantes and La Rochelle, who adopted them in their green spaces.\u00a0 <\/span>From a niche market when they were first launched in 2010, the ollas are now manufactured by the entire workshop, which is running at full capacity. A true success story for a watering system that is now as popular with plant professionals as it is with amateur gardeners!<\/span><\/p>\n