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”
Beautiful! What kind of beef critters are they and what geographic area of France do you live in? It’s just gorgeous. Your kids are definitely lucky!
Hi! We have a herd of Salers. Great mother cows. They pop them babies out. Full of milk. They are outside all year. Our farm is in the Gers. Sunny, warm with short winters. Very friendly.
This idea of Miss C to have guest writers is getting more exciting as the days pass. That, Jean, was great. It was humorous and serious and made me smile and laugh. What a wonderful family you have, all those animals, and dogs, and cat, and children..what more could any woman want(apart from a holiday)Thank you so much for taking the time out of your extremely busy day to write and to photograph your life in France
Thanks! Nice to meet you! Blogging is my get-away 🙂
Awesome post!! Didn’t want it to come to an end.
ah. It seems it never ends. I do sleep sometimes :). A little local red wine helps 😉
Hi I’m just catching up with the posts. Gerlinde your post yesterday, lovely what a great farm in Germany, I want to go there, and today wow, Jean your farm is something dreams are made of, fantastic I want to go there too! X
It’s a work in progress. Though, we’ve just made the decision to start farmstays. We have a three bedroom villa in the middle of the farm surrounded by pasture. First time I’ve said that out loud. So if you’re ever in France … 🙂
Jean, do you have you own blog?
… what I wondered exactly. She should, no?!
I mean, not that she has a whole lot else to keep her busy… ( 😉 Hello Jean, wonderful post!)
She would definitely have a large instant following 🙂
Found her! Look for “brat” and “like me” and then the com you know
yeah, forgot to add that bit. We are Grasspunk. That’s our farm. http://grasspunk.com. I write fambly stuff at http://bratlikeme.com
Awesome…..thanks Jean!
Thanks!
Good morning Celi in the sun and thank you Jean for the tour of France today. Great looking cows and what delightful children.
Sounds like you know exactly how great you have it. Thanks for a very enjoyable post!!
What a delightful farm. One can always rely on the French to provide the best possible food. We’ve enjoyed some wonderful gastronomic experiences in France in the past.
Christine
P.S. Love the cat under the stove!
We brought that cat from America to France. Those Siamese keep going ang going and going. His Siamese “meow” arrived five years ago. He has one neuron, but very cute and cuddly.
Hi there Jean. Thank you so much for your post; it’s wonderful to catch a glimpse into your life…and now I’d love to know more about you and your farm. I’m with every one else. Great post, do you have a blog? If not, can you write one for us? LOL 😀 Have a glorious week.
hee. yes, I blog at http://bratlikeme.com Nice to meet you!
HI Jean, I pop over to “Brat” often and love reading about your adventures. I have been meaning to ask why only 3 Goldens and not 4? ;0 After todays description I can see why your trips to Bordeaux are your holiday. Laura
ah. thanks for reading! Lumi, our “himbo” golden, is a stud. Handsome, gentleman, dim. I’m waiting for his offspring for the fourth. That should keep us one shy of “crazy dog people.”
What an amazing gift you are giving to your children, to be raised on a farm in such a lovely place. Thank you for hosting today’s post.
Such a lovely post Jean… You were gifted with the correct name to live in France!!!
Your stove looks to have a 3 billy goats theme, I love it!!!! Thank you for the view into your life!
I can’t tell you how confused people are with me and my name Jean. “Jean comme les jeans,” I say. “OH! I thought Jean was your husband!” In French “les jeans” are “jeans” and “Jean” is a man … most likely a neighbor ( or two ).
Lovely Jean, thank-you.
What a beautiful family you have! I love how each of the pups sleeps in his own bed. Great shot of the kids – they look like great fun! Thanks for sharing!
Love the shot of the dogs and the cat by the poele….lovely post:)
Poele. aaah. Poele to me says ” It’s cold in France today. So f-it. I shall snuggle and read a book by the poele. ” Super snuggy those woodburning stoves!