Perhaps surprisingly in a country renowned for its markets and its food, until recently traditional produce triumphed over the unusual. While truck farmers (called market gardeners here) have always sold directly to the consumer in France, longtime planting habits have resulted in less variety, at least outside Paris. But now chefs who travel bring back ideas and have created a demand that has trickled down to the consumer; growers are slowly responding.

Mr. Bourdon’s successful gamble to branch out gave him the courage to try other unusual produce, like heirloom tomatoes, tiny artichokes, purple and pale orange cauliflower, snaky red peppers with no bite but amazing flavor and bright yellow beets.

“Of course, it takes time,” he says. “I still watch clients look at a yellow beet, make a face, and say, ‘Beets should be red.’ People here are stubborn. But so am I. I cut them a slice to taste, and then I give them a recipe. They almost always buy.”

Market gardening exists quietly throughout France. The trend includes people like Jöel Thiébault, who cultivates many of the same varieties that are found in Mr. Bourdon’s fields and sells them at a high-end market in Paris, as well as to most of the Michelin-starred temples of the capital. There is also Jean-Luc Daneyrolles in the Lubéron region in Provence, who is revered for his tomato varieties and collection of heirloom seeds.

These farmers adhere to good agricultural practices and are making names for themselves as they offer more choices; they are also making enough money to stay on the farm.

Mr. Bourdon grew up in the nearby town of Saint-Didier-des-Bois, where tractors outnumber cars. He trained as a civil engineer, but the politics of the job discouraged him. His maternal uncle, meanwhile, was struggling to keep the family farm in the region (about an hour west of Paris).

“I love our land,” Mr. Bourdon says. “I decided to quit my job and help out my uncle.”

The Bourdon farm is big by local standards, about 10 acres. When Mr. Bourdon started working there, he filled a couple of decrepit greenhouses with tomatoes, beans, peas and eggplant. He reserved a stand at two farmers’ markets and showed up with crates of gorgeous vegetables and a hungry look in his eye. He is gifted with natural sales ability, so it wasn’t long before his crates were empty. Winter came, and so did Mr. Bourdon’s endives. With those, his reputation was set.