About Us
Meet the team
OUR STORY
La Grange gravitates around the farm’s old woodworking barn, hosting an exceptional mosaic of beams whose unusual curvatures were achieved through elders bending live trees as they grew, for future generations to harvest. The story of consideration, legacy and long-term thinking these beams tell is one that resonates even stronger today in the face of the climate emergency. And so, after loving renovations, La Grange has brought together its team’s shared interests and backgrounds in the arts, culture and sustainability to offer a selection of unique programmes fostering a sense of community and connection to nature as an escape from the busy urban lifestyle many of us are all too familiar with.
OUR TEAM
Christine Nevejan
After her theatre and director studies at the Amsterdam Academy of Cinema, Christine made several documentaries, notably in a women's prison, a psychiatric prison and with young doctors in war regions. After the birth of her children, she obtained her agricultural BEPA in 2007 and founded the Lusitanian stud-farm of Saint-Jean. Today her ambition is transform the farm into a place for the youth to make their own.
Anouk Dijkman
Anouk is based in London and frequently escapes to Saint-Jean, away from the city hustle and bustle.
She’s a sustainability practitioner specialised in food systems, with experience ranging across the public, private and voluntary sector. She currently works within the catering industry and is complementing this with an MSc in Agroecology, Water and Food Sovereignty. Having grown up on Saint-Jean, Anouk has been working for the past 2 years with family and friends on opening-up the farm to share all the small things that make it feel like home.
Gregoire Masson Ndjock
Parisian by birth and semi-resident of Saint Jean since childhood, Grégoire has for several years been moved by an irresistible bucolic enthusiasm. Graduated from a Web School in 2017, Grégoire has since multiplied various experiences until he gradually focused on music, writing and especially nature. He is now a cook for La Grange where he aims to incorporate durability with tastiness, with a sweet spot for combining sweet and salty flavours. Greg’s favourite moments at the farm are spent contemplating the surroundings from the tractor’s roof.
Jaap Dijkman
Jaap is based in Brittany, alternating between Rennes - the region’s capital - and the farm, where he grew up. He is a sound engineer and producer, and is working on developing a studio at Saint-Jean. He is incredibly curious about all things music, from discovering old analog gear and doing them up himself, to sound acoustic, history and even new fusion genres, Jaap aims to look at music from all perspectives. On the side, he helps with occasional daily tasks at the farm as well as with its broader business development plans. Above all, we love how warmly Jaap welcomes guests and always takes the time for a little chat.
Shiva
Shiva is the real boss at Saint-Jean. During the day, Shiva is a ferocious coypu hunter, while at night by the fireplace she transforms into everyone’s thief of hearts and will be found snoozing in the lap of those offering the best pats.
Asmar
Asmar is our newest recruit and joined the farm last summer as a puppy! On a perpetual quest for more pats and attention, Asmar is a real charmer with his big brown eyes. Our hearts melt a little bit more every night by the fireplace when this gentle giant's paws come to rest on our feet.
