Agriculture in the Limousin

Comenius project N&U 12-14Collège Guy de Maupassant, Limoges

Numbers and pictures

877 000 hectares of agricultural land, 14 324 farms, 3% are biological.

In Departments of Creuse and Haute-Vienne, 59% and 56% of the territory are agricultural lands. Only 40 % in Corrèze because there are lots of natural forests.

Due to a climate in oceanic influence and poor granitic soil, Limousin is an area for livestock grass : mostly cows, pigs and sheeps.

Only 9% of the agricultural land is dedicated to crops of grain and oilseed (by comparison, 39% in the whole France)

On 0,5 % are grown fruit crops : apples, walnuts, chestnuts, raspberries, blueberries and saffron in the center of the Limousin.

Two symbols of the Limousin

The Golden apple of theLimousin is grown between300 and 500 meters. FormerPresident Jacques Chirac,born in the Limousin, usedduring his presidentialcampaign this slogan: "Eatapples »

The Limousin cow is a special breed of cows, famous for his red dress and the quality of its meat rewarded by the Label Rouge (Red Label for agricultural products)

Traditional agriculture in the Limousin

In France, the number of cultivators and farmers has fallen from 25% to 2% of active population. In conventional agriculture, you can use pesticides and fertilizers, chemical products to enhance the production. It has been developped after the 2nd war to make the best rate between soil and production. It’s a good way to nourish quickly a big number of people but it’s a bad way to nourish them well, because chemical products go to the inner of the body and create diseases.

Fertilizers and pesticides are used in large cultivated areas

Biological agriculture in the Limousin

Farmers and gardnerspractice crop rotation in order the vegetables cannot exhaust the soil by drawing from it theirnutrients.

3 ways of cultivating the soils :1- Grow food in flat soil ; inconvenience : it can be flooded by water and only 1 or 2 vegetables can grow.2-In a little mont of soft earth, water does not flood the vegetable. 1 vegetable also.3- In a plank by several veg, soft ground, not flooded. Can be grown in stages, such as rice.

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Biodynamic Agriculture in the Limousin

Dr. Rudolf Steiner, a respected philosopher and highly trained scientist, has invented it in 1924. It is an ecological and sustainable agriculture in which farmers don't use neither fertilizer nor pesticide. They let trees, plants, fruits, soil be influenced by the movements of the moon and planets. Steiner observed the plants and trees and discovered links and interrelationship between the position of the planets and the plant growing. The farmers strive to create a diversified and balanced farm ecosystem which produces health and fertility within the farm itself. In the Limousin grow on this way fruits, vegetables, cows, sheeps, eggs, saffron, honey.