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Epagny / 28 octobre 2013 . « Ferme des Grands Bois ». www.fermedesgrandsbois.ch. Based at Epagny / municipality of Gruyères (full community), 3 associates Mountain zones I + II (III)
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« Ferme des Grands Bois » www.fermedesgrandsbois.ch
Based at Epagny / municipality of Gruyères (full community), 3 associates • Mountain zones I + II (III) • Total of 110 hectares SLU made up of:. 11 hectares of maize . 11 hectares of cereals (wheat). 20 hectares of temporary meadows. 15 hectares of grassland. 53 hectares of natural grassland
Local Alpine grazing used (MolésonandHaut-Intyamon): total of 270 hectares • Livestock:. 90-95 Holstein and Red Hostein milking cows. 140 young livestock • No silaged fodder (first and second crops of hay, dried maize)
Summergrazing • All the young livestock (except for male calves) are on the Alpine grazing • 200 additional heifers from some 20 farms in the canton also taken on • 50 of our milking cows are on the Alp from mid-May to mid-September • My brother and associate stays on the Alpine farm during this period
Annual production of milk for cheese-making/processing • 730,000 kg, of which 140,000 are made into cheese on the Alp by our cheese-maker in the village of Moléson
Labour • 3 associates who work 100% • 1 labourer with a federal certificate who works 60% as from 1.9.2012 (works elsewhere for 4 months over the winter) • 1 person who works 70% on the farm (cheese-maker); in winter he works elsewhere • 3 people who work between 20 and 50% (family members, especially from April to October, for the summer grazing) • 1 apprentice (male or female)
Buildings • Albeuve: 45 LU young livestock (1994) • Epagny:. Main farm (2004 + extension built in 2010); 120 LU including old building . Chaumiaux farm (500 m from the main farm);18 LU young livestock
Mechanical workshop, 160 m2
Covered standing and shed / stock 200 m2 • 150 m2 cellars for storing cheese and cold-room • 13 huts on the alp
Agricultural activities • Alpine grazing and cheese production = 30% of turnover: important factor in view of the 200 heifers from other farms taken care of for 150 days • Production of around 14 tonnes of cheese: VacherinFribourgois AOC and ourspecialitythe Petit Moléson(small cheese of around 1.5 kg, sold tosome 30 shops and 3 restaurants in the area from July to January)
Our cheeses are not sent away for maturing. They are kept in our own cellars and supplied by us. • The cheese is made over a wood fire in the village of Moléson and tourists are welcome to visit the dairy, which is open from 1 May to 1 October; around 15,000 visitors come every year. • The bulk of our milk production, i.e. around 590,000 kg, is brought to Pringy to be made into Gruyère AOC cheese. • In the season, we collaborate with Gruyères Aerodrome, which is surrounded by our land; we scythe the grass and usable borders and mow the runway.
We breed dairy cattle and show them at Swiss Expo, Junior Expo, Expo Bulle, etc. • Improving our breeds is a continuous job; we sell some of our livestock but do not buy in
We manage the CAUMA and carry out tasks for third parties • 9 farms in the region for 25 years; we jointly own 30 machines (for large fields, combine harvesters, manuring, spraying, etc.) and carry out work for third parties with a clientèle of some 220 names, as well as returning land to farming after building work
The CAUMA buys in our aids to production wholesale: diesel oil, motor oil, plants, seeds, fertilisers, cleaning materials, milking equipment, etc. • Management of the CAUMA and maintenance work takes up 30% of our time • In winter: maintenance work in our forests
How the farmworks • 3 associateswhocomplementeachother • Differentfocuses of interest: • breedingand Alpine grazing for François • genetics, livestock, shows for Cédric • machinery, crops, CAUMA for Olivier • Differenttraining: • François: federalcertificate and diploma in agriculture + 10 yearsexperience as a breedingspecialist for the Holstein Association of Switzerland • Cédric: federalcertificate + agricultural trading + management • Olivier: master diploma in agriculture + federalcertificate in agricultural mechanics
Conclusions • We have income from various sectors = greater security • Our individual skills can be fully used and we can each develop in our own way • We have achieved a good level of rationalisation in our buildings and machinery • We enjoy leisure time at weekends and time with our families • We get on well together and are motivated by each other’s dynamism