The Spiruline du Pic farm sits in a valley in the Hautes-Pyrénées department of southwest France, at roughly 600 metres above sea level. The location was chosen for its water — mountain spring water with low mineral load and zero agricultural contamination — and for the long summer sunshine hours that extend the growing season even at altitude.
The cultivation system is covered greenhouse raceways: shallow elongated ponds under polycarbonate roofing. The covering keeps insects and bird debris out, dramatically reducing contamination risk compared to fully open-air systems. Temperature management is the main challenge in the Pyrenees — even in summer, nights can be cool, and the greenhouse covering helps retain heat accumulated during the day.
The scale is genuinely artisanal. The farm produces between 200 and 400 kilograms of dried spirulina per year, all sold under their own label directly to consumers through their website, local health-food shops, and the weekly market in Tarbes. They do not supply to supplement manufacturers — the entire production goes to known, local customers.
Founder Marion Fabre started the farm after several years working on spirulina projects in West Africa, where spirulina is used in malnutrition programmes. The experience in Africa changed her thinking about scale: she concluded that small, traceable, quality-focused operations were more valuable to consumers than industrial production, and brought that philosophy back to France.
The farm produces a fresh spirulina paste alongside the standard dried powder — sold frozen in small jars and available only for local pickup or short-distance delivery. Fresh spirulina paste retains more phycocyanin than dried forms and has a distinctly cleaner, less bitter taste. It is perishable (roughly 3 weeks refrigerated, 6 months frozen), which limits distribution, but for local customers it is the highest-quality spirulina form available.