The Limousin is a land of livestock farming. Many farming systems coexist in this region of France and contribute to the wealth of our territory. So, whether you are a farmer or simply curious about farming, we invite you to discover our farms and the surrounding countryside.
Programme of visits – departing from Le Dorat
Tuesday 2 July – “Mixed breeding, I rely on the genetics of my sheep” –
Cost 25 euros, lunch and coach travel included
- 9.30 am: visit to the farm of Benoît Daudon in Guéret
– 500 Charollaise ewes, with 2 lambing seasons
– 50 dairy cows
– 200 hectares of land
Working alone on his farm, Benoît Daudon focusses on achieving self-sufficiency and on the optimization of tasks on his farm
Presentation of Charollais Sheep Selection Organization.
- Lunch aboard a boat in Crozant
- 3.00 pm: 3km walk “In the footsteps of the Valley painters” OR visit to the Monet-Rollinat art exhibition
- 6.00 pm: return to Le Dorat
Wednesday, July 3 July – “Discover the Genetics of the Limousin breed and explore the capital of the Limousin”
Cost 25 euros, lunch and coach travel included
- 9.00 am: visit to the Pole de Lanaud
Created in 1991 to serve the Limousin cattle breed, the Pole de Lanaud is an exceptional place which houses under one roof all those working in the National Qualification Station sector, from the selection body (France Limousin Sélection), to the Limousin Herd-book and the agro-tourism leisure park on the same site, whose goal is to inform the general public about the breed and the work of the farmers. Thanks to this collective organization of services, available to all farmers, and thanks to the intrinsic qualities of the breed, the Limousine cow is present today in more than 80 French departments and more than 80 countries.
Situated just outside the city of Limoges, this architectural ensemble, overlooking acres of meadows, is the work of the famous architect Jean Nouvel, which is the first of its kind in a rural area. This exemplary and original creation, built using Douglas wood from the Limousin, was given the classed as a “Remarkable 20th century building” by the Ministry of Culture and Communication.
- Lunch at the Pole de Lanaud
- 2.00 pm: Guided tour of Limoges
The Limoges Métropole agglomeration community comprises of 19 municipalities and has a population of just over 212,000, representing nearly a half of the population in the Haute-Vienne department.
Within the region Nouvelle-Aquitaine, the Limousin, now connected to Aquitaine and Poitou-Charentes, is known for its expertise in the production of luxury goods: porcelain, tapestry, leather, enamel … but also for its beautiful green countryside, ideal for those bucolic walks.
- 6.00 pm : return to Le Dorat
Thursday 4 July – “Self-sufficiency in fodder and mixed cattle-sheep production”
Free
- 9.00 am : visit to the Magnac Laval Agricultural college farm
Exploitation with 2 workshops:
– Beef cattle feeding system: fattening of 250 Limousin bulls and 50 females
– Sheep breeding for meat: 550 Romane breed ewes, production of lambs, 180 breeding lambs and 120 remplacement ewe lambs, with a system tracking the performance of the breed.
– 175 hectares managed with soil conservation agriculture
The exploitation is self-sufficient in fodder thanks to the different cultures (meslin…).
The farm has also undertaken various projects orientated towards agro ecology, experimentation in different areas (sheep breeding, grazing, …), equipment testing.
- 1.00 pm: return to Le Dorat
Friday 5 July “Discover a Breeder-Fattener system for beef cattle in the Vienne”
Free
- 9.00 am : Visit to the farm of Mr and Mrs Bertrand and Sabine Bousseau in Lathus- Managed by husband and wife and 1 employee
– 130 calves in beef breeder-fattener system (Limousine breed)
– 230 hectares (grazing, silage and cereals for self-consumption)
These farmers fatten their young bulls and heifers heavy over a period of 3 years for butchering. They also sell and breed heifers for reproduction. Registered with the Limousin Herd Book since 2012, they are developing their herd using genetic selection.
Reserve your place Download poster
