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”
What a nice sunny post! Those are lucky kids ( and dogs/cat) with such lovely smiles – can almost hear the laughter. I love iron stoves. Nice cattle – it’s rodeo/livestock show here shortly, seeing all the breeds is great fun. Nothing’s funnier than seeing a sleepy heard of cattle suddenly wake up and rush towards a pickup arriving in their pasture.
Enjoyed visiting your farmy!
[…] I tried to keep it simple. A Farm In France. […]
I loved your photos and you are hilarious! Ha!
I just watched a show on the French channel about Salers cows and that the cheese from their milk is extraordinary! Lovely blog, gret writing and photos. I read a few entries (no time to read all of them right now). The thing about Seattle having one dry month-July-and Fluevog not making rain boots had me laughing out loud. So true! As are the antics of your goldens, our standard poodle behaves the same way.
Gorgeous photos .. Your place looks so very special! Love the shot of the dogs .. Thank you for sharing 😊
As usual, I’m among the very last to read today’s post, due to living in Australia and not being a night owl! What an ideal life, though not easy at times, I’m sure. Good for you chasing your dream. One day, your children will know how lucky they were. Thank you, lovely photos!
Hi Jean. Loved your guest post but I got sidetracked… for quite a while… clicking over to your blog. And felt quite at home with a few Aussie influences… gumboots, lamingtons, and your sense of humour definitely qualifies. Great to meet you 🙂 EllaDee
yeah. I’ve always loved Australia. We have family there. Aussie humor is near and dear to my heart!
Hi Jean
What beautiful children you have and what a wonderful life you offer them. I love your farm and the work you and your husband put into it. One day I hope that someone like you and your husband will continue with our farm.
Four beautiful bilingual children, three dogs I would love to pinch and those handsome cows enjoying that rich grass in a part of France I have not yet visited . . . thank you for giving us a brief glance! Regards also from Australia [obviously I get up last 🙂 !]
What a beautiful, lush farm, and a luscious life! Enjoy your humour, the dogs, the children.
Miss C knows the best people. I am hooked
Such a fun post!!! Real life on the farm, that’s for sure! I’d love to know how you and your hubby met and how he whisked you off to France! Is the story on your blog? xo
Funny. I can write that up. I think I whisked him to France. England, New Zealand and Australia were on our list. With kids this young, we took advantage of the ability to learn a new language. Their French is MUCH BETTER than mine, fer sure.
And America!!! American was on the list as well!!
Beautiful words and images.
ah thanks. i have a lot of opportunities with images. There is so much to photograph!
I love cow drool! My roommate from college and husband were going through a difficult time many years ago. They packed up their five kids, rented a villa in France and spent the next year there. They went from San Diego beaches to France and loved it. What a wonderful post today. Hopefully, your children will know someday what a wonderful life you have chosen for them.
What crazy people! Who would pack up five kids and move to France!? Insane!
Beautiful – we mus drive close to where you farm several times a year as we go to and from Spain. Lovely post, thank you for sharing your story and stunning photos!
pop by! we have give good coffee!