Grange du Causse Pézènes-les-Mines

Can you introduce yourself and your business?

My name is Laura, I'm 37, married and have a large blended family with 5 children. I grew up in contact with nature and animals. Previously, I had a completely different job, as a town hall secretary in small rural towns. For a long time, I'd felt the need to get back into the outdoors at a pace that was sometimes intense, but in keeping with who I am and the values to which I aspire. So three years ago, I decided to take on a flock of ewes to engage in eco-pasturing and maintain the various environments (agricultural, wasteland, etc.) with my ewes and my dogs.

Can you describe your daily routine and your flock’s at the Grange du Causse park?

The guard dogs stay with the flock every day, so I come to feed them, give the ewes something to drink, check on the health of my animals and monitor births, for example.

What's the difference between grazing sheep in a solar farm?

As the vegetation under the panels remains greener, it's a good idea to graze the animals there, mainly in summer following the spring regrowth. They find drier fodder as well as grass that's still green and fatty, enabling them to enjoy a wide variety of feed in the same area. The ewes follow their own rhythm and are more relaxed. The guard dogs keep watch, freeing up my time for other tasks. The occasional visits from the solar farm maintenance crews keep up the socialization with outsiders.

Are there any operational limits between your work and the solar park?

The surface area required for eco-pasturing a herd of 200 animals is considerable, and repeated grazing will enrich the soil and encourage even re-growth. As I don't supplement my ewes with silage (a type of fodder produced by the fermentation of plant matter) or hay, the maintenance of the photovoltaic park is part of a grazing route. This ensures that the area is not overgrazed and impoverished. It also means that the entire herd is not present all year round. Given the height of the panels, it's not always easy for the dog to group the flock together, but he knows how to adapt to bring the scattered ewes back to the park area.

Is there anything you would have liked to have known before working with Boralex?

Not particularly, we had a lot of discussions about their vision of grazing and mine, and protection was put in place at the panels to avoid any incidents. I was also on site to graze the trails and open areas for the duration of the work, so questions and answers were asked and answered as we went along.

Did working with Boralex help you discover new things, or were you surprised by certain aspects?

Not particularly, except for the speed with which the work was carried out!

Would you advise your peers to engage in eco-pasturing as you do, and why?

Yes, I think it's a good compromise for both the farmer and the park operator. Ewes can't replace mechanization, of course, but on fairly poor land, the repeated passage of flocks and machines will, in a few years' time, result in richer areas with more uniform vegetation, requiring less mechanical work. The peace of mind of knowing that the ewes are in a secure, enclosed area where they can graze freely, just a few steps from home, is a real plus. Our profession is time-consuming, and it can happen that the animals escape, requiring extra work at any time of the day or night. So it's a comfortable solution for me.

If you had to express your relationship with Boralex in 3 words?

Exchange / operationality / adaptability