This summer, vegetable growers at the Breau farm, located along the Loire River in France, have been planting leeks at 2:00 AM to "avoid the plants from burning." This unusual time shift is part of new agricultural practices driven by extreme heat and drought. The farm, which spans 100 hectares, includes 20 hectares dedicated to organic farming, and is situated in Villebernier, near Saumur. The sandy soil in this region is ideal for growing vegetables, but recent heat waves have made traditional farming methods less effective. The farm's six partners, including three young adults, and their dozens of employees have had to adapt their routines to manage the challenges posed by the extreme weather. The farm grows a variety of vegetables, including leeks, radishes, tomatoes, cucumbers, and especially lettuce, on 40 hectares of open land. Cultivation in greenhouses begins in autumn. Lettuce, which is 95% water, requires significant rainfall, and the farm now harvests before noon to avoid stress that causes the plant to produce more seeds. Sébastien Breau, 51, Elliott's uncle, explains that the plant produces seeds because it "feels" it is dying and seeks to reproduce. To combat this, the farm has implemented late evening irrigation, nighttime plantings under projector light, and early morning harvesting. Caterpillars and weeds have also been more numerous than usual, prompting the farm to seek advice from the Rosée des champs cooperative, to which it is affiliated. The cooperative sent technicians to provide guidance during this unusual summer. The farm experienced a harvest loss of "only" 10%, while the average loss among vegetable growers in France is 35%, according to the Syndicat des fabricants de produits végétaux prêts à l'emploi (SVFPE), which organized a recent press visit. This syndicate includes both cooperatives and private groups. In the Nantes basin, where most farms grow young shoots and mâche, growers have opted for shade nets to protect their crops. In Villebernier, several dozen meters of the last plantings of lollo rossa (red lettuces) have benefited from the "return of cold nights," notes Augustin Ringô, general director of Rosée des champs. The cooperative has two vegetable processing sites in Maine-et-Loire and Bouches-du-Rhône. Vegetables are picked, loaded onto the cooperative's trucks, and then washed, prepared, cut, and packaged depending on their grade. At the processing sites, vegetables must pass through the refrigerator "to lower the temperature" and prevent spoilage. Along the conveyor belts, trimmers have adjusted their techniques to handle the new format of lettuces, which have a much lower weight than standard. The statistical service of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agreste, will provide its first estimates on vegetable harvests by the end of October.