From Dead Soils to Living Systems

When Felix Noblia took over his uncle's struggling 120-hectare farm in the French Basque Country, he inherited depleted soils and a complicated financial situation that demanded creative solutions. "The soils were dead, and I needed to reduce operating costs," he explains. “It was obvious we couldn’t continue doing the same old, same old.”

Felix had always been passionate about the environment. When he discovered agroecology, the principles resonated with him practically and philosophically. He started experimenting at Ferme Larrous. When agroecology immediately worked, he decided to deploy it fully, a journey that would transform the farm and his entire approach to agriculture and life.

The Economics of Working With Nature

“Transitioning to regenerative agriculture has been a process of learning, unlearning, and relearning,” Felix says with a smile.

Felix has now been practicing regeneration for more than 10 years. The farm has over 100 cows and 3 pigs managed holistically. They also grow wheat and maize. Through no-till practices, cover cropping, and direct seeding under cover, he's created permanently covered soils teeming with earthworms and beneficial insects.

“I am proud of the simplification of the operating mode and work schedules as well as the risks I have taken.” Felix shares. By switching to regenerative practices, he was able to greatly decrease Ferme Larrous' operating costs so that the farm is now profitable. "I stopped buying fertilizers and I stopped buying seeds,” he explains. “My mechanization and animal feed costs greatly decreased.” This has created a leaner business and enabled Felix and his team to earn a good living relative to the time they put in.

It Starts with a Seed

Over the years, Felix has mastered the art of selecting old seed varieties and populations that enhance autonomy and performance while dramatically improving water retention and soil structure.

This journey began in 2013 when Felix started offering direct seeding services. “I was able to appreciate the complementarities and competitions between different species,” he explains. “This gave me a deeper understanding of the factors that influence soil fertility.”

Felix studied how microbial life and the trophic chain influence fertility release in organic systems, developing expertise in market gardening, composting, and micro-organism preparations. Over the years, he has worked on thousands of hectares throughout the region developing deep insights into soil dynamics, plant compatibilities, and the power of biodiversity.

Through workshops, educational programs, farm tours, and social media, Felix uses this knowledge to support other farmers around France in transitioning to regenerative practices and scaling the industry.

Valuing Tomorrow's Agriculture

Felix envisions a future where farmers are paid for the environmental benefits they create. “I believe this will become a strong source of income in the future,” he shares.

He is actively working on systems to value and monetize ecosystem services like improved biodiversity, soil carbon sequestration, and water retention and contributing to research around EU policy reform. With plans to develop agrotourism and expand agroforestry, he sees his farm as a model for ecosystem services in action.

"Valuing environmental benefits will be the most important challenge of our future," Felix emphasizes, "It’s about supporting agriculture that improves the planet instead of competitive practices that damage it.” Felix’s vision isn't just about Ferme Larrous’ future, it's about transforming how society values and rewards farming systems that heal rather than harm.