Good morning everyone. The weather is gorgeous here in California. Today we go to France! To see Jean who blogs at Brat Like Me. Have a lovely, lovely day, love celi.
Hello! I am Jean. Above is my youngest daughter who is, to my mother’s glee, a lot like me. I’ve been following the Farmy for awhile now. Beautiful photos and good times. We run a grass-fed beef farm in France. On our farm we call Miss C “che-chelia” like my favorite Opera singer Cecilia Bartoli. I don’t think she knows this.
The herd is moved each day sometimes three times a day. They eat alfalfa and pasture. In the winter we feed them hay with the grass. Grass-fed and grass finished. We sell direct to customers in France.
My husband has a farming background. Me? I grew up on the beaches of Southern California. I think I saw my first cow while pregnant with my fourth child searching for a farm to farm in France at age 39.
We have four crazy kids ( optimistically crazy ). Okay spirited. People ask us, “so, are you going away for the holidays?” To which I respond, “ no, I can’t get to the end of my driveway without someone screaming or crapping their pants.” … So no, we don’t go away for the holidays. We stay on the farm and get bored and then invent something to do.
We have three crazy Golden Retrievers. Look at them. Antsy. Energetic. Ready to roll … by the fire. Bug the Siamese cat sits under the fire for the winter months. When he dies, we shall have him stuffed and place him under the woodburner. No one will know that he has passed.
When I help Brent with the cows, I take photos. I help when needed, but he handles the herd all by his ownsome. Great thing those herding animals. Brent can move ninety cows before I can get four children out the door to school. True story.
Lumi is on steak patrol. When a steak is up for tasting, he is there to support you. We taste everything that goes off this farm. If it isn’t to our standards. We don’t sell it.
The herd is used to the routine. When Brent arrives, good things happen. He has a big fan club.
Friends come and help. Then we get lost in the sunset talking about cows and pasture and life in general.
We also raise chickens. We have often lost our favorite chook only to find her a few weeks later with peepy peeps under her wings.
We enjoy raising beef in Southwest France. The country supports farmers like us. And our children have no idea how great they have it.
Love Jean.
The Kitchen's Garden 
84 responses to “A Farm in France”
This is terrific! Thank you so much. Happy cattle.
I have a question. I grew up on a dairy farm in British Columbia. We grew alfafa but we Never Grazed the Cows on it. It was bailed. The Only time the cows were put on the alfafa was after a killing frost in the fall. The reason was bloat. My foggy understanding is that the cows will bloat if the alfalfa is actively growing. I have seen cows suffocated because of bloat.
I notice that the alfalfa is high and starting to bloom. Has the alfalfa stopped growing, or is it not alfafa, or …..
What?
My husband, Brent, could go on and on and on and on about grass and alfalfa. We graze alfalfa often. We know that bloat is the risk. After four years, we’ve never had an issue. Brent has the herd graze alfalfa when conditions are right. Which in our area, is often. He writes about grass and pasture on http://grasspunk.com . He should have a post up there on this. If not, I’ll get him to write one. We do a lot of trial with the herd. In search of the perfect steak, grass-fed is an important input. Our alfalfa has been very successful. He should chuck some more data out there on the interwebs for others who are interested.
You have a beautiful family and farm. Golden Retrievers are my favorite dogs. Nice to meet you.
I never thought of myself as a Golden Retriever type, but thankfully they arrested me. Such funny, silly, loving dogs. Love them. Ug.
Love the photo of the girl in pink 👸
We call her “Dragon 2.” Sshhhh! Quiet! Don’t wake the Dragon. When she is up, it’s on.
I had one like that! 🙂