Names matter.
They carry meaning, history and intention.
When searching for a name for my land, I found myself toying with selfcreated words like ‘Bloomiverse’. It exudes ambition: regenerating our planet Earth (the Universe even!) in a flourishing paradise. I found that talking to people about it, some thought of this term as too far-fetched (although Bloomiverse did become the name for my enterprise, under which flag I run various initiatives). When exploring what the land meaned for me, and could possibly mean to others, I kept returning repeatedly to the location, on the Route of Sainte-Foy-la-Grande.
After having travelled the South of Europe with our campervan to search for a place. The fact that I ended up impulsively falling in love with the land on this Route, I felt I needed to know more about who this Sainte was. Research into Sainte Foy la Grande brought me to a story about a young girl who lived during the Roman era.
According to tradition, she refused to abandon her beliefs despite intense pressure to do so. Her story eventually spread across Europe, and her name became associated with courage and conviction.
Whether one views the story historically or symbolically, the message resonates.
I myself was once a girl, standing firmly for what I believed: wanting to contribute to a righteous world, caring for each other and other species. It occurred to me that this piece of land on the Route to Sainte Foy la Grande hadn’t revealed itself to me for no reason. Her message is a reminder of my own conviction to what I feel is right: spreading the word about fair food systems, care for the earth and its living species, regenerating what we’ve lost such as the forgotten knowledge from our ancestors and the connection we feel with mother earth. Choosing the name Val de Foy felt like an acknowledgement of belief—not in the religious sense, but in the possibility of change.
Belief that landscapes can regenerate.
Belief that food systems can become more honest and respectful toward the planet.
And belief that small initiatives can inspire larger transformations.
We hope that the community forming around Val de Foy feels that this is an ode to strength and faith, to stand up for the restoration of our bond with nature.
Note:
The accompanying picture shows the incredible view of the surroundings of Val de Foy with a little village on the horizon. The village sitting in the hillside is Soumensac, and should not be confused with the town of Sainte Foy la Grande, a town to the North West of my land Val de Foy, commemorating the legend of Sainte Foy la Grande.
