My name is Alex and I worked in fast food for years, mainly at McDonald's. I was working too much, and eventually I got fed up and left. I resigned because I wanted a change. I was a manager, and I couldn't take fast food anymore. I was there for years, seeing all the young students come and go while I gave more and more of my time and health by doing more and more cover shifts. There was a time when I was coming home at 4 a.m. and leaving again at 8 a.m. My children are now 20 and 15, and I decided that now was the right time to take the plunge.

As I had resigned, I wasn't entitled to unemployment benefits. However, as I have dependent children, I was eligible for other benefits. This gave me the opportunity to look elsewhere and really understand what I wanted to do. I was looking for training courses, and when I saw the one on 'Discovering Agriculture', I knew it was right for me.

My father owns some land in Comptes, and I wanted to acquire the necessary skills to take care of it in future. I enjoyed it and decided to take other courses, such as agroecology. The more courses I attended, the more I thought about my father's land, and I found myself dreaming about the plants and crops that could be grown there. So I enrolled on the BP REA course, as this would allow me to acquire the necessary skills to replace farmers while being employed, rather than going straight into setting up my own agricultural business.

During the first month, when we had to develop our project, I was at a loss. The blank page they gave me at the start of the day remained blank...I had this idea of cultivating my father's land, but it's still his land! He runs a car garage. I'm trying to convince him, even though the soil may be polluted from years of vehicle activity and garage work. Before it became a garage, the land was used as a vineyard.

I think the solution will be to install above-ground containers. But what should I grow? I had a lot of doubts and wanted to leave the training programme because I didn't feel like I belonged there.

Michèle and my other friends from the class encouraged me to stay, though. Gradually, my project began to take shape. I want to combine French and Asian vegetables: I have been passionate about growing the latter since I was a child, and I want to combine them with typical vegetables from Provence. There are more and more Asian restaurants in the region, but they either import their produce or use frozen products. I would like to try growing vegetables such as pak choi, shiso, nappa cabbage, daikon, Japanese aubergines, edamame, shiitake mushrooms and mango soybeans, which can be used to cook Asian dishes and are not available here. These vegetables thrive in a Mediterranean climate. My plan is to supply them to restaurants.

I'll also grow Provençal vegetables such as tomatoes and courgettes, which are sure to be popular. It'll be a blend of Provence and Asia. Each stage of the BP REA has allowed me to develop my project further, even though some trainers have been reluctant to embrace the idea of growing Asian vegetables. However, my current goal is to create my own little piece of Asia in Provence.

I'm considering incorporating agritourism and bed-and-breakfast accommodation into the house on the land, as it has great potential. If something were to happen to my father today, my sisters and I would have no choice but to sell up, whereas turning the property into an agricultural business would enable us to retain ownership and benefit from a number of tax exemptions.

I could restore the terraces and bring them back to life. I can already picture planters in the garden and guests strolling around!

Alex