Bérénice, a breeder at Hectar's Godets farm, tells us about her daily life with some 80 beautiful ruminants!
An intuition confirmed by time!
"There are sometimes clear-cut paths... From the age of 8, I knew that my professional life would be with animals. It was when I arrived at the BTS in animal production that I discovered the agricultural engineer option. It was confirmation that I had found my place. I then put aside the veterinary option that I had considered for a while. I would be in the field, in the middle of nature, close to the animals, in contact with the soil and the crops.
What is a breeder's day like in winter?
In reality, my days are punctuated by the needs of the herd: firstly, to go and meet them, to make sure that everything is going well. Here, the 80 or so cows from Normandy live in the open air, a healthy lifestyle that is adapted to their physical and behavioural needs. Contrary to what is often believed, cows are not afraid of the cold in our latitudes, since their thermal comfort zone is between -10 and +25°. Nature being well made, they put on their winter coat in due course and develop a protective layer of fat thanks to a good diet: tasty grass that they take from plot to plot during our movements (PTD), supplemented with forage rations whenever necessary. To keep warm in autumn and winter, the cows also tend to group together and particularly appreciate the hedges that protect them from the wind. I also take the time to talk to the local residents who sometimes have questions. In less than two years, they have seen the return of the meadows that we have gradually re-established and the return of the cows to the valley. We sometimes make anthropomorphic projections, due to a lack of knowledge, but also out of empathy. We have to explain our job and remind people that cows are hardy and thrive outdoors.
What news is on the horizon?
We are going to extend the meadows by planting an additional 35 hectares in the Pommeret valley, which is well known to the inhabitants of Lévis St Nom, the commune where we are based. We are constantly improving our practices because we are in a pilot farm model. For example, we quickly identified that we needed more space, especially as the herd is growing with the calvings expected between now and spring. A hedge of almost 2 kilometres is also planned for February, an initiative conducted with schoolchildren from the Hectar ecosystem. It is not only a food source for biodiversity, an asset against soil erosion and drying out, but also the return of a traditional landscape that the elders of the municipality are progressively redrawing. But the highlight will undoubtedly be the re-launch of the Godets Dairy, which had been dormant for several decades. Yoghurts and artisanal cheeses bearing the name "La ferme des Godets" will be produced by this summer. 100% local! A source of pride.
