Organic Farming in France

Hello all,

Here is a quick update about what’s going on:

Yesterday, I successfully transitioned to the second of the four farms for the summer. Christine and Alain wanted to get away for the weekend and graciously offered to drive me all the way to the second farm. The trip could not have been more enjoyable. Driving mostly on small country roads, we slowly made our way to Les Vans, seeing churches, chateaus, and picnicking along the way. It really makes me (and hopefully you) reconsider the RT 95 style trip from Point A to Point B, because seeing small country towns can make the drive an enjoyable experience on its own.

Since the arrival, I have spent my time getting to know my new hosts. They are quite nice and have set me up in a tipi (another far-cry from Haverford) for the duration of my stay. Unfortunately, I am currently pressed for time and will need to let you know more in a day or two.

In short, all is well and I have successfully arrived.

More coming soon,
Andrew

Friends,

Though tomorrow is the Fourth of July and you will probably be celebrating with friends and family, I will be commemorating the day by transitioning to the second of the four host families. Owners of a farm called the “Little Blue Donkey” (see the description in one of the earliest posts and their site (bourricot.com/lepetitanebleu)), the Bigliardis will help me continue my pursuit of the economically viable organic farm, and thanks to Alain’s insights, the better consumer. Before I go, however, there are a few things to mention:

- Tim Mulder, a good friend from home, posted the most recent comment on the blog and wrote critically about consumerism. I encourage you to read it because he succintly touches on the issues of local food’s higher cost and the advantages of the supermarket’s global product base. It provides both an excellent counter-point to my own conclusions and supports a great deal of what I have said.

-As I am not yet sure of the internet situation in the next location, please allow a few days before posts keep coming. If the worst happens and internet is unavailable, I will let you know somehow.

-Additionally, knowing this blog has another six weeks to go, I am interested in some feedback. If there are issues you want me to more critically examine , facets of life you would like described, or anything else, email me at abostick@haverford.edu with your comments.

-Though it has been a while since they updated, periodically check Christine and Alain’s blog (moulinruel.canalblog.com/) because pictures of our work (and possibly a finished goat house!) could come up.

-Last but not least and for all you animal lovers, another baby donkey was born last night at midnight and has successfully begun its life. Pretty cool…

So, it is time to get back to work, but I hope that all is well in your lives.

More to come,

Andrew

Dear Readers,

In the last post, I ended my reflection by encouraging you to try doing things yourself at home. Whether it is fixing the lawn mower or making the salad dressing, the goal is to consume less by producing more yourselves. Realistically, I understand that it can be intimidating to try doing projects that you are not trained to do, but simultaneously, I hope today’s experience at the Moulin Ruel can show you its not that bad (if you are willing to laugh at yourself).

This morning, Alain and I decided to continue work on the goat house by building four brick structures that will eventually serve as the supports for each door. After mixing the required mortar and obtaining a large supply of bricks, we put our Mason hats on and went to work. Admittedly, we were lacking in experience (ie none for myself and only a few projects for Alain). Undaunted, we shoveled mortar, laid bricks, tried vainly to make them level, and eventually managed to build three bases. I even got to try build my own, which ended up rather lopsided and was termed “rustic” much to the chagrin of the whole family…

So, if anyone has been thinking that do-it-yourself projects are an impossibility, change your mind. If I can learn to lay bricks in an hour (this is the guy who has never actually done manual labor), I am sure you can figure out the lawnmower engine or salad dressing. Even in the unlikely event that it fails completely, its a least worth one good laugh…

Best,

Andrew

Hello all,

Having taken a good bit of time this past weekend to reflect on my experiences here at the Moulin Ruel, I have come to a conclusion about our own role in America’s agricultural dilemma.

If you have been following this blog or have spoken to me about the project, you are probabaly aware that the goal of my summer project is the evaluate the economic viability of organic farms in France as an alternative for industrial agriculture in the United States. Ideally, I would to discover a way for Americans to be more closely connected to their food supply, for industrial farms to give way to organic ones, and for the environment to rebound. What you might not know, however, is that I have been operating under the assumption that the majority of the issues stem solely from the agribusiness firms (who use pesticides, genetically modified crops, etc.). In other words, we the consumers are victims of a large, capitalistic scheme to grow more food, cheaper, damaging the environment and our health all along the way.

While keeping that key assumption in mind, I enquired last week in a conversation with Alain if he believed organic agriculture represents a viable alternative to the problems posed by its industrial counterpart. His response shocked me. “No, not at all. It merely provides a taste of the right way to do things.” Put yourself in my place, having traveled thousands of miles for your host to tell you you are dead wrong. Shocked is an understatement.

Luckily, Alain’s following argument helped me reconsider my assumptions and put the consumer into the picture. In his eyes, organic agriculture is a small counter-revolution that is utterly dwarfed by the immensity of industrial agriculture. Though some people are interested in change via buying organic produce or joining a CSA (community supported agriculture), they represent the small majority. Inversely, he encouraged me to think about the root of the problem instead of trying to merely fix the result.

So, from where does industrial agriculture really come? Sadly, the answer is us, the consumers. As the population of the US grows, and we demand more varieties of foods out-of-season, the production of the food itself becomes more mechanized and integrated as producers strive to meet the demand of the consumers. Though I began the internship believing it was all about the producers and hoped to change their ways, what Alain and Christine are teaching me (and you through me) is that it is just as much about changing our consumption patterns as it is about changing the production methods. In other words, we the consumers indirectly control what is produced because it all relies on what we demand.

Thus, in terms of Alain and Christine’s farm, the goal is not so much to provide an alternative to industrial agriculture as it is to change their own consumption habits. The examples of their successes are numerous: Christine has a garden in which she grows almost all the fruits and vegetables they consume; in the kitchen, she makes her own jams from that fruit, cheese from the milk of  a local dairy, and wine from the chestnuts of trees nearby; likewise, Alain does not buy new cars or tractors, but instead fixes old ones that are simpler and work just as well; Alain also uses one of those old trucks to retrieve the wood he cuts to heat the house. In short, the couple has critically considered all the things they need in life and has actively pursued ways to purchase those goods locally or to make them theirselves.

Another great example is the project Alain and I pursued today. Having woken at six thirty for a quick breakfast, we spent the morning making and pouring the concrete for the foundation of a winter goat house. Though the process was labor-intensive, we calculated the costs of doing it ourselves versus having someone come, and the price was ten times less expensive (not to mention the personal satisfaction we got from seeing the foundation completed).

Considering all the ways that Alain and Christine have worked at changing their own habits, I believe that we can use their examples as a beginning point for a reevaluation of our own consumer habits. Though we do not all have the land, money, or time to raise animals to consume, little changes can shift the demand curve and change industries. Essentially, we the consumers are the ones who have the power to make change occur, and here are some examples of what we can do:

- Next time we are in the supermarket and buying a pre-made salad dressing, consider trying to make it ourselves. It will use ingredients we already have and cost less.

- When our lawn mower breaks or a window is broken, try fixing it ourselves before paying someone else to do the job.

- In terms of food, consider buying something directly from a local farmer’s market instead of relying on the supermarket.

- Also, eating vegetables and fruits in season means they taste the best and have not travelled from another time zone for our consumer desires.

Yes, each of these is a simple example that may or may not apply directly to our lives. Regardless, I encourage each and everyone one of us to take a critical look at our own consumption patterns and find ways to do-it-yourself or buy local. If everyone changes just one thing, the result is a big difference.

Yours truly,

Andrew

Hey everyone,

Though I am currently working on some other posts that will come later this week, I want to encourage you to read the comments that others have been leaving on the blog. Often, they provide interesting articles, perspectives, counterpoints, and stories that add my own conclusions. Highlights include: Mary Welsh’s two didactic contributions, Betsy Bostick’s humorous slug story, Renee Bostick’s media suggestions, Ben Pyenson’s precious farming experience, and Rémy Olson’s personal revelation. Thank you to all who have contributed!

Wishing you well,

Andrew

Dear Friends,

Now that the weekend has passed and we have all had sufficient rest, we can dive back into this agricultural adventure and think about what is going on here at the Moulin Ruel.

Though I spent the majority of my time last week with Alain, pursuing major projects like the hay and wood harvests, I recently discovered the joys of gardening. With Christine as my guide, I have spent the last two days moving around the garden and learning about what’s been planted, why, and how. I really think that words do not do justice to the exultation that follows thrusting a pitchfork into the dark, rich earth, lifting with great force, and seeing fingerling potatoes emerge from the ground like nuggets of gold. Likewise, a description does not fully capture tha amazment that follows cutting  a fresh head of lettuce and viewing creamy white syrup dripping from its roots (which gives it the name “laitue” as in the French “lait” for milk). It really is  a primordial and magical experience to take seeds harvested from the previous year and watch them grow into the very foods that nourish our bodies.

Fancy descriptions aside, it is both curious and frightening that a process as simple as growing plants has has become so very optional that the majority of Americans have never gardened themselves. Though it is the very basis of our existence, whether it feeds the animals we eat or produces the vegetables/fruit we consume, gardening and agriculture (essentially gardening on a large-scale) are distanced from the average individual. I, for one, have lived for nineteen years before even considering where my food came from…

So, if we can all agree or at least observe that Americans are not really connected to their food supply, maybe one way to breach the gap would be trying to grow a plant to consume this very summer. When I asked Christine what might be a good, beginner’s garden, she had three suggestions in mind:

1.) Tomatoes are an excellent first plant to grow because they are so widely available and can be eaten raw. Though she started her own plants from the previous year’s seeds, you can easily buy a plant now, plant it, and eat your own tomatoes later this summer. (gardening.about.com/od/growingtips/tp/Tomato_Tips.htm)

2.) Potatoes, surprisingly, are another good place to begin. Having purchased some budded potatoes (or having rescued that decrepid spud budding somewhere in your garage), you can prepare the earth for a line of potatoes by aggressively turning over the soil, inserting manure (if attainable and palatable), and planting the buds with a hefty covering on top. (www.ames.com/fingerlingpotato.html)

3.) Christine’s final suggestion was to try greenbeans. They are another summer favorite that can be enjoyed right off the plant. (www.greenbeansnmore.com/how-to-grow-green-beans.html)

Finally, if you are reading through this page and thinking that gardening is too much work, there are four good reasons why you should consider breaking into the earth this very week:

- Homegrown vegetables taste way better. I can say without any hesitation that the products I have consumed here this summer are better than those at home.

- Growing your own food is way cheaper. Instead of buying gas and paying for pricey store veggies, why not save money by growing your own food. All you need is a plant and your backyard.

- Homegrown foods are better for the environment. When you eat your own foods, you are not consuming vegetables from out of season that were shipped from California or the Middle East. That means way less fossil fuel consumption.

- Gardening is a great way to get outdoors and to relieve stress. Though work might be hard, you can always have the satisfaction of sinking a shovel into the earth or picking a homegrown tomato to brighten your day.

So, I truly hope you might consider growing at least one plant this summer. Who knows, it might spark your fascination, make you consider a new profession, or change your perception. And if not, the worst thing that happens is you know gardening isn’t for you. Give it a shot!

Faithfully yours,

Andrew

Dear Readers,

Having finished the hay harvest and celebrated its completion, yesterday brought a harvest of two new creatures: slugs and donkeys.

In the midafternoon, as the rain poured on our heads, Christine, Kirstie, Juliette, and I worked in the garden, trying to stop an invasion of slugs that were consuming the very plants we hoped to consume ourselves. Armed with gloves and glass jars, we pinched the creepy crawly creatures off the plants and threw them, with more than a little bit of disgust, into the jars. Later, having harvested over one hundred, Christine decided there were simply too many and resorted to the application of a weak pesticide.

Wait a second, she applied a pesticide in an organic garden? Yes, as it turns out, there are some pesticides that are approved under the organic regulations and that can be applied even though popular opinion says no chemicals are used. This realization brings me back to a comment left earlier in the blog by Ben Pyenson (the recent Haverford alum) who wondered about how organic farms prevent the outbreak of diseases. Here is my attempt to anwer his questions:

Here at the Moulin Ruel, the farm is not technically registered as organic. In truth, it is a small hobby-type farm where animals and vegetables are raised for personal consumption. While not “officially” an organic farm, however, Christine and Alain consider themselves organic farmers because they rarely apply pesticides to plants and medications to animals. Yes, while here, I have seen a donkey being given medicine to prevent infection after his castration, and yes, yesterday I saw Christine apply a light pesticide. Though each of these things might lead one to conclude the Moulin Ruel is no different from an industrial farm, the important distinction we must see is that they use these products extremely rarely as the natural animal-raising techniques (like letting horses, donkeys, sheep, goats, and chickens actually graze) keep the animals in good health. Conversely, it is the concentration of livestock and the monoculture of industrial agriculture that necessitate the use of medications and pesticides.

So, to return to the example of slug harvests, the truth is that organic agriculture faces many challenges by deciding to avoid medications, growth hormones, pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, and hebicides. Though we were forced to apply a pesticide because the slugs were destroying a crop, it was a reactionary measure instead of the preventive applications used in industrial agriculture.

On a much much much lighter note, the second harvest that I mentioned above was the birth of a new donkey. Last night, as were enjoying conversation over a leisurely dinner, we were greeted by the cries of a donkey outside the backdoor. Everyone rushed to see, and suddenly, one of the donkeys gave birth to a baby male. It was a messy business as the donkey removed the baby from the embryonic sac and as the umbilical cord fell away, but the gruesome sight could not take away the magic of the moment as life literally began before our eyes.

In the end, the day held two very different harvests, but each holds a lesson in its own right. Slugs, in their own disgusting way, illuminate the balance that must be held in a garden between nature and personal consumption. Simultaneously, the baby donkey reminds us that animals are, in fact, beings too and that they are more like us than we often want to admit….

Wishing you a joyful weekend,

Andrew

Hello all,

In light of the length and seriousness of the last post, this is going to be relatively brief and light-hearted. Last night, we had a party here at the Moulin Ruel to celebrate the successful completion of the hay harvest. Historically, peasants commemorated the end of each harvest (hay, wood, wheat, etc.) with a feast. In keeping with the tradition, we lit a fire in the brick oven and cooked homemade pizzas. There must have been ten different pies with varieties ranging from goat cheese, swiss, and mozzarella to ham and anchovies (I know…they are furry fish, but they taste so good!). I do not lie when I say it was some of the best pizza I have ever eaten. Then, when the pizzas were finished and our stomachs were groaning, we cooked a fresh loaf of bread in the remaining embers which served as this morning’s breakfast.

So what does that mean in terms of us Americans who do not actually have a brick oven outside the back door? The answer is simple: when we take time to prepare things slowly and with care, they taste way better. Though we all cannot cook pizzas in a speciality oven, we surely have traditional family recipes (like my Southern grandmother’s ham hock and green beans!!!) that require a lot of time and effort. Why not dig up that old recipe and give it a shot? Who knows, maybe it will be the best thing we eat all summer.

Hoping that all is well state-side,

Andrew

Dear Friends,

Today was one of the hardest days yet  here at the Moulin Ruel, but with great effort comes great success. To briefly summarize, we first woke at seven am to go haul a load of wood. In truth, this is no small task because we ended up obtaining two and a half tons of wood and splitting about ten thick trunks. After, we made a run to a local mill to buy one hundred kilograms of grain directly from an eighty-five year old miller. Lunch followed,  including a brief siesta to avoid the heat of midday. Then, the rest of the afternoon we finished up the harvesting of the hay. 

Moving away from the bare details of the day, I think it is important to explain more directly why the activities we pursue are so important. In brief, the wood is crucial because it heats the home and the water. Burned in a cast iron oven in the kitchen, the wood is the renewable energy source that the Blancarts rely upon.

Other than the obvious application of wood, I want to describe why the process of making hay is necessary to the continuity of any farm. Basics first: like I said earlier, hay is grass that has been allowed to grow to about knee height. It is cut, allowed to dry, and then harvested to provide food for animals throughout the winter.  Simple, right? Actually, the story is a lot more complicated than it seems. Though you might say to yourself that a bad harvest of hay is not too big of a problem because one can always buy more feed, the truth is that organic farms live on an incredibly tight budget. Without a healthy harvest of hay, there will not be enough food for the animals, and the must be slaughted. No hay, no animals. Period.

Unfortunately, that is not where the story ends. Today, I spoke with Alain as we surveyed the field of hay that we were in the process of harvesting (imagine four football fields of grass, literally truckloads of the crop). While walking, explained the importance of his harvesting method. Here at the Moulin Ruel, we create hay the old-fashioned way. The grass is cut when the weather forecast is good and left in the sun for two or three days. When sufficiently dry, it is collected by an ancient harvester/truck attached to a tractor. Then, the hay is unloaded and lifted, by pitchfork, into the machine that conveys it into the hay loft. In short, the process is labor intensive and highly dependent on the weather.

Why go through the trouble of letting the crop dry? As it turns out, grass that is not sufficiently dry ferments when it is stored. The process creates a flammable gas that collects and results in the immolation of barns and homes. Unfortunately, the stark remnants of a burnt home just down the road attest to the dangers of poorly harvested hay.

To avoid all the hassle of this drying and storing process, modern industrial farms cut hay, let it dry for no more than an hour, and package it in plastic for storage in the field. With the heat of the sun, the fermentation process accelerates and ultimately creates a fermented grass with alcoholic properties. The animals that are then fed the crop become intoxicated, and with repeated feedings, have liver problems that shorten their life. In Alain’s words, “Cows used to be respected on farms and often lived to the age of fourteen or fifteen. Now, by the age of eight, they suffer from liver problems and are sent to the slaughter.” It seems, then, that the cow has transcended the status of “a being” to become a mere commodity for our exploitation.

Contrasting the two images of hay that I saw this afternoon, one with my eyes and the other with my imagination, I began to see a second theme emerge here during my stay at the Moulin Ruel. In short, organic agriculture is much more labor intensive than its industrial counterpart, but ultimately, it is better for everyone involved. Yes, our harvest of the hay was stressful, weather dependent, and difficult, but the result is a better life for both of us, the farmers and the animals. We successfully avoided contact with dangerous chemicals and fire, and the animals consume a higher-quality crop, resulting in a longer, healthier life.

In terms of we the consumers, then,  the lesson we must take away is that change is going to be difficult and the result is going to be more expensive. If we are going to stop the transgressions of industrial agriculture, we need to be willing to accept higher prices to compensate the difference in labor costs. In this sense, it might be easy to say the change will never come. I, for one, disagree and believe the truth lies in a change of perception. If we weigh the explicit costs of expensive , organic agriculture against the implicit costs forced on society by industrial farms (like the mistreatment of animals, the exposure to toxic chemicals, the increases in obesity/heart disease, etc.), it becomes clear that organic agriculture is the best choice, even if it seems costlier at first.

So, next time you say you’re having a “hay day” or that we should “make hay while the sun shines,” remember that the actual haymaking process is an important one and is a small piece in the puzzle of industrial agriculture’s transgressions. Often, colloquialisms hold more meaning than they first suggest…

Andrew

P.S. It seems that pictures are not going to upload here. The computer is far too slow. Hopefully, things will work better at the next home.

Hello everyone,

As I have a little bit of time to repose, I want to tell you about some of the things I have already learned here at the Moulin Ruel. The only thing the post will lack are photos, but that issue should get resolved later tonight.

The overarching themes that link the activities I have pursued are self-sufficiency and localized consumption. Over the past two days, I have accompanied Alain and Christine around the farm, learning how they raise their animals/vegetables and trying to grasp their ideologies. To begin, each day commences with the care of the animals. The chickens are released from the hen house, the donkeys from their stables, and the goats and sheep are counted to make sure no wolves have attacked in the night. All are fed and watered before we ourselves eat breakfast. At meal times, we must also venture into the garden to harvest potatoes, peas, broad beans, lettuce, and radishes to consume. Finally, we upkeep the house by doing dishes and tending the wood-fired oven.

While those are the base activities that must be accomplished each day, the pastimes that most intrigue me are the daily projects that we complete. Yesterday, while Alain was cutting the hay in the fields (which, in case you are similary naive, is grass that has grown to knee height and that feeds the animals throughout the winter), I accompanied Kirstie and Christine to a neighbor’s farm to pick cherries. Though it is really a simple thing to pick fruit off a tree and eat it, it amazed me how much I took for granted the process. Additionally, the day before, I had taken the milk we purchased from a local dairy and turned it into fresh cheese that we consume each day.

What most pleased me, however, was having the opportunity to accompany Alain to a local forest to collect wood that he had cut this past winter. Driving through the underbrush in his creaky pickup and learning to split wood with an ax and wedges was simultaneously exhilarating and tiring. He even gave me the title “bucheron” or lumberjack after I successfully split the first log with one chop. (Who knows? If this Haverford thing doesn’t work out, being a bucheron could be quite fun!) After returning, some highlights included learning to drive both a tractor and a four-by-four. Just you wait for the pictures…

Though recounting all these highlights is quite pleasurable, however, the theme that I believe we must take away from the stories is that Alain and Christine have learned to live quasi self-sufficiently. In place of buying food for their animals, cherries for themselves, or oil for their furnace, they have taken advantage of the local materials available and have vastly reduced the amount that they consume. We can all take something away from this lesson. Next time we are thinking about cooking a meal and automatically drive to the supermarket, maybe we use what we already have in the pantry or take a walk and see if any fruit is in bloom. Yes, the changes are small, but if many of us buy less, the sum is a large reduction.

That is all I have to say for now, but I hope to put up pictures later to show you all that is going on. I wish everyone health and happiness in these bright summer days.

Yours truly,

Andrew