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”
Hi Jean, from the photos and descriptions, it looks as if you live in the same part of the world as my sister in Eymet, Lot et Garonne. Such a very beautiful country, France, and as you say, extremely accommodating to food producers of all kinds… They have their priorities right!
We are in the Gers. No trains. One stop light and everything closes from 12 -2pm like clockwork. I stopped at that stoplight with my kids in the car and they said, “wow! look at all the traffic!” … there were three cars, my car included.
What a splendid life and family. Beautiful children. Some day they will appreciate the place and way in which they were raised. I bet they already do in their own subtle ways.
Thank you, Jean, for such a fun post. Your children have the best life and they will realise it one day. Our cows also follow my husband and his tractor, as they know he will have something to eat. Your goldens are gorgeous but naturally we are biased. One can never have too many golden retrievers I always say. Joy
Love it! Cows, they want to eat grass. They are well behaved if you keep giving them great food.
Beautiful chaos with the children and the dogs and the cat and the cows. I too love that stove! A work of art in and of itself. Thank you for sharing with us. You have a great wit and I’m sure you need it! Ahh, the South of France. Sounds like heaven.
The stove is called “Fremont.” We used to live in Seattle, WA. In the village of Fremont there is a bridge ( the Aurora Bridge ) that has a giant statue of a troll under, quite impressive. I was pretty amazed by the stove as well when we bought it … and it was cheap! Fremont heats the room well.
What a candid and honest post, Jean! I love your photos and narration of daily life. You have your hands full in a delightful way. I wish American’s were more “grass-fed” minded with livestock farming. Your cows, kids, dogs, cat, and chicks look so happy. Simple life is good, eh? Have a lovely day Jean. 🙂 Thanks for entertaining us!
Thank you! It’s nice to be reminded that my hands are full. I forget about that. Wait! There is so much going on, it’s good to stop and think, “wait, there’s a whole lot going on.” I totally lose sight of this.
Great post Jean! Beautiful children, cattle, dogs, fields, cat, wood stove…a wonderful life.
there you are.. !
I love your farm and your family and your kitty ad golden retrievers! The shot of all the sleeping beauties by the warmth of the stove is priceless.We used to have two Goldens and yes, you can never have too many.
Thank you Jean, darling girl! I for one would Love to come and rent your villa in the middle of a field! Just give me a year or two, you never know! Lots of love.. c
Thanks for letting me share! Just helped Brent pull a bucket off one of our calves. Silly calf. They can get into so much mischief sometimes. It’s been fun commenting on comments. Hope the farmy is well!
So far so good but wickedly cold there this week.. California is lovely though!
Oh me too! I haven’t been to France in years – worked there for a while and loved every minute. And oh the food – real good coffee, pastries, fresh bread every day and don’t get me started on the cheeses! You have a lovely farm and a beautiful family Jean!
I laughed out loud at your comment regarding holidays. We raised 6 children. I can relate. Loved a peek at your farm. Thank you for posting : )
I laughed out loud at your very first sentence–your mother’s glee at your having as bratty a kid as you were. What goes around comes around, hey? Thank you so much for this fun experience. You indeed have such wit and humor about you!
I’m on a tour or Europe! Holy Cow! I made those potato pancakes yesterday. The slow food way. Actually I think they were more French because being a great fan of Julia Child the method was more of an attention to oxidation and fermentation the French way. The trick to additional flavor was the balance of onions and pepper. The potatoes were processed on liquefy( blender, with no scratched knuckles like granmma had), as were the onions. The moisture driven with gravity through a fine strainer and the starch reserved to be added to a “batter” and not a patty. A good hot iron skillet too. Some fine sausages with horseradish and sour cream. We are home y’all. Tak for Fransk and Deutchland so far. From an American missing Europe very much.
Hi Liennea, how about writing my posts from now on, I do the recipes and you do the words that go with it. I love your style.
Julia Child taught me how to cook. I wooed my husband with her duck a la orange recipe . I adored her.
Wow! How incredibly beautiful. You guys are blessed! We spend summers in Burgundy…I was hoping your farm was closer so that we could come visit you, but alas, you are at the other corner. Your photos are beautiful. You and your hubby are both good with your “herds” and all your herds are beautiful. Take care and thanks for blogging to us today.
Ahh, this was delightful and I too have popped over to your blog now and then after finding you on Chee Chelia’s blog and Trapper Creek awhile back! I love your beautiful, crazy, wonderful, life filled life you have! Your kids will have these joyful memories all their lives!
We are also from the Seattle area, (Gig Harbor), so loved the photo of you and your hubby with his SeaHawks beanie! 🙂
Awe! The cover photo & the beautiful end photo! Thanks for taking me to France this morning. It is lovely to travel when I can’t even possibly leave my icy driveway today!
Lovely to find another Miss C, here in France. Thank you for the tour.