We (Sébastien and Céline Dalonis) have been farming saffron in Donnat (Sabran, Gard) since 2006 and are now at the turning point of a crucial development in our farm, MANJOLIVE, by:

launching the production of spirulina and acquiring a professional dryer, in order to dry spirulina and other superfood products.

And to make this development, we need you!

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Saffron, spirulina, goji and more!

Ten years after planting our first bulbs and harvesting our first saffron flowers, we are proud to now be producing a high quality organic saffron, SAFRANUM, saffron of Provence (certified by Agriculture Biologique and Nature & Progrès).

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Our saffron is used by Michelin starred chefs such as Lionel LEVY (Intercontinental Hôtel Dieu, Alcyone*, Marseille) and Armand ARNAL (La Chassagnette*, Arles, Le Sambuc), who have supported us since the very beginning and remain by our side, offering gastronomic rewards to you, our soon-to-be patrons (see 'Rewards Program' ;o).

And we thank them heartily!

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Our clients, friends and partners also use our saffron on a daily basis, both for their cooking and well-being, and equally enjoy our saffron syrup and macarons (gluten and lactose free).

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And all this is only the first stage in our adventure!

To find out more : www.safrandeprovence.com

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MANJOLIVE grows and the adventure continues!

All our products have a common ground: gastronomy, community and well-being.

Saffron requires a lot of work, especially when produced organically, so in order to maintain the quality of our saffron we have chosen to limit its production. Saffron alone can therefore no longer sustain our small family, and this is why we have chosen to diversify Manjolive's production.

Our new project is based on two crops: saffron and spirulina (see below for more details).

Alongside this, we will also start farming goji berries, the first in France!

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Goji berries are small orange-red berries with a subtle but distinct flavour, another one of Mother Nature's miracle fruit, rich in vitamin C and antioxidants. Goji berries are mainly found in the European market as a dried fruit, as they come from China. We have begun trials, based on organic principles of course, and hope to be offering this product in the near future; not only as dried fruit, but also as fresh berries, a first within France and Europe!

On our estate you will also find vineyards and truffles, two crops that have been in the family for many years, and a permaculture orchard-vegetable garden is also under way.

In due time we will reintroduce the olive, that disappeared from our land following the great frost of 1956 (hundred-year-old roots still bear testament to them), and are also a great symbol of Mediterranean gastronomy and health.

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We have so much more to tell you about ourselves and our ethos (see below) but first:

Spirulina - what is it?

Spirulina is above all a 'superfood', naturally possessing astonishing properties.

This microscopic algae is extremely rich in iron, proteins, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and micronutrients.

Dr DUPIRE has even written that "this is the most complete food that can be found on the planet".

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It is generally taken as 'flakes' or 'twigs' (see photo), of which the nutritional value is maintained by drying at low temperatures to prevent the atomisation of molecules. Spirulina is also eaten in all kinds of recipes, from smoothies to dessert, via pesto, tapenade, vinaigrette and guacamole!

Its original and lightly savoury flavour, along with its blue-green appearance will not leave you indifferent.

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The healthfood blogosphere is teeming with recipes to introduce spirulina into our daily eating, such as Karen Chevallier's, www.cuisine-saine.fr

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An undeniable energy concentrate that will add an original touch to your dishes, spirulina will also help you stay healthy while delaying signs of ageing.

Many scientific studies support its virtues.

This small blue algae was no less than one of the first living organisms on Earth. Existing on our beautiful planet for over 3.5 thousand years, spirulina is bursting with vitality, acting to boost our health, our healing capacity (increased strength for sport and intense activity) and our immune system (for defence and protection against auto-immune diseases).

Spirulina's properties were already recognised by the Aztecs, and spirulina still makes up part of the traditional diet of many people in India, Africa and South America.

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Thanks to its exceptional properties, spirulina serves a large variety of purposes such as saving children suffering from malnutrition in Africa and nurturing NASA astronauts with recipes prepared by Alain DUCASSE including gnocchi à la spirulina (see above - copyright ADF Alain Ducasse).

Spriulina is even to be presented at the French Pavilion at the MILAN World Expo in 2015 that carries the theme 'Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life'.

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Spirulina - who for?

Spirulina is recommended to anyone who is health conscious but also to anyone interested in improving the quality and originality of their cooking!

Spriulina offers something for everyone, in particular health benefits for:

- sports people and those undergoing intense physical activity (for healing and protection against injuries)

- women, of all ages, including those who are pregnant or breast feeding

- young children (as a prevention and cure of iron and other deficiencies)

- seniors or other individuals suffering from problems such as high cholesterol or arthritis.

As well as being an exceptional dietary supplement, spirulina encourages digestion, detoxification and acid-base equilibrium in the body (being a highly alkaline food).

Biologically classified as algae and consumed raw after drying at low temperatures, spirulina is an excellent and ecological alternative to animal proteins.

Spirulina is therefore perfectly suited to vegetarians, vegans or crudivores, and is a great supplement to specific diets, such as gluten, lactose and animal protein free, as well as paleo, raw food, Seignalet and Kousmine to name a few!

With all these qualities, it's easy to see why we are starting to see spirulina appear as a superfood and food supplement on the shelves at our pharmacies, organic supermarkets and healthfood stores.

Spirulina - how?

We want to produce a high quality spirulina.

Production will be of an artisanal nature, following organic principles, respecting the biorhythm of this microalgae and following the natural development pace of a healthy, local, reliable and sustainable food.

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Our spirulina will grow in greenhouses, in shallow pools (approximately 15cm of water), thereby reproducing the ideal conditions of algae growth within their natural environment.

To achieve this, we have already installed a greenhouse that is 106m long by 8m wide, providing a total surface of 848m2.

In this greenhouse we intend to install 4 pools of algae (2 that are currently being assembled, 2 to be assembled in 2016). Each pool is 50m long and 3m40 wide, with a central ridge, each with a paddle wheel (made lovingly by us using stainless steel and PEHD, thanks to the help of an experienced fellow spirulina farmer) for the purpose of stirring the water.

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In order to harvest the algae, the water, dense with spirulina, will be driven, using a small vortex pump, from the crop pool to the harvest pool and into our harvest laboratory.

The laboratory was designed in order to optimise the yield and in keeping with the standards of food hygiene (NB: No specific standards are currently in place for spirulina production).

It has been integrated into a low energy consuming building that we built in 2014 next to the greenhouse.

As you may have noted the building is still under construction.

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Above you can see the view from the laboratory :o) The same view can be seen from our courtyard.

The water (or culture medium), with a high concentration of spirulina, will reach the lab and be passed through an extremely fine filter (of 30 microns) in order to collect the microalgae that forms a type of paste known as biomass. This biomass will then be transformed into fine threads, which allows for efficient drying at low temperatures (45°C maximum) in order to preserve all of the algae's qualities.

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After drying, these 'threads' will then be broken to form spirulina 'twigs'; the form of spirulina that is easiest to digest and guaranties an artisanal spirulina of high quality.

The drying process is therefore an essential stage in spirulina production.

And that's where you come in!

MANJOLIVE ● safran ● spiruline ● goji ●