Protecting the Magic Water of La Roche Posay

 La Roche Posay is a spa town about 15 minutes from us by car. The water there is high in selenium and acknowledged as a treatment for skin conditions. The town is usually full of curistes (visitors who come for the cure) and L'Oréal owns the skin care company La Roche Posay, which manufactures products using the magic water. In return for permission to use the town's name, the skin care giant has funded numerous improvements and beautifications in this small town tucked away in the depths of the French countryside.

The original spa at La Roche Posay.

The aquifer that the magic water comes from is obviously precious and must be protected. So many years ago a golf course was built on the land over the aquifer, adjoining the original spa hotel and its grounds. For 35 years the golf course was managed by the golf club committee, but now, with really big bucks involved, L'Oréal has invested and has stepped in to manage both sites.

This is according to a friend who is a regular player there anyway.

Sorry golfing friends -- this turns out to be the best photo of the golf course we have in our archive.

According to the newspaper L'Oréal has struggled to put in place a suitable management team. They have employed a senior greenkeeper from Chatellerault at any rate. The golf club will retain control of managing competitions, club events and the clubhouse. L'Oréal asked them to contribute €100 000 towards the course maintenance in 2021 and has pledged to invest in equipment and infrastructure to make the site more attractive to a commercial operator. In addition to the expert greenkeeper to manage the groundsmen, L'Oréal have hired a golf management consultant to advise on the business. L'Oréal with also be renovating the obsolete equipment building and bringing in the landscapers to correct the significant slope on the driving range.

The club has 110 members, so the maintenance contribution from them is significant. Plus the golf club must cover the cost of non-groundskeeping personnel and the rent of the clubhouse from the municipality, which is €15 000 per annum. The club members hope all the investments from L'Oréal will pay off, but 2021 was obviously very slow due to Covid.

Wolves in the Archives

Since the recent wolf sighting in Indre et Loire the county archivists have been rummaging in their files and have come up with several accounts from the 18th and 19th century of local incidents involving wolves. 

Wolf attacks on humans don't seem to have become a thing until the Middle Ages. The first record of the Little Red Riding Hood story dates from around 1000, in Liege. Prior to this they were regarded as forest animals, rarely seen. The change seems to have come with increasing pressure on their habitat by humans and the increasing presence of humans in their habitat. 

Male wolf in Haute Touche Zoo, near us at Azay le Ferron.

I thought I'd translate and pass on some of the stories in our local archive.

In 1748 and 1750, somewhat exasperated reports concerning wolf hunting were sent to the Commissioner of Touraine (a State official appointed to enact the King's orders in the Touraine).

"It is only a few days ago, Sir, that I arrived here. I found the whole district extremely frightened of the devastation caused here and in the surrounding area by what the locals call "the Beast".

The lack of success with the drives which have been made up to now is due, according to what I hear, to the fact that the trackers do not go to the meeting point in sufficient numbers, to the fact that they do not go into the woods abreast, but by two or three platoons, to the fact that half of them withdraw after the first drive, and finally to the fact that the guards of the master's office and the horsemen of the Maréchaussée [the French police force at the time] leave their posts at every shot they hear to go and see if some beast other than a wolf has been killed instead.

In order for these drives to succeed, they must be carried out by a large number of assembled men, and above all, there must be people who are knowledgeable about these kinds of things, such as water and forestry officers and the marshal service, without which the result will be a mob of peasants who all jump into a wood at once. They start by making a great noise which makes the animals flee and end up killing a few hares that they take for their supper, without counting the various accidents that can happen to people who are clumsy at shooting and who do not know how to position themselves properly. 

Vineyard at Rochecorbon.

 

Yesterday again, two animals, having come in broad daylight to the edge of the levee at the entrance to the village of Rochecorbon, were pursued and surrounded by 400 peasants armed with pitchforks and sticks, who forced the wolves to jump into the river. As one had been wounded on a former occasion so it swam badly, 4 boatmen knocked it into the water with sticks. This cursed species has multiplied for some time and I receive complaints from all sides. They attack people of all ages, and a 45 year old woman was throttled 8 days ago."

In 1750, in Loches: "We had not yet seen in the shire of Loches wolves interested in human flesh. One appeared on December 26 last in the Royal Forest on the road, which injured several people dangerously. The next morning it successively attacked five men among whom was a surgeon who was going to dress the first wounded."
 

The River Loire in Tours.

The attack of a rabid wolf in 1814: In addition to the mutilations caused by the wolves' bites, rabies, transmitted by the animal, was also feared. So a Doctor Leclerc, was called in September 1814 to examine the victims of a rabid wolf in Cravant. This fear of rabies was only alleviated in 1885, by Pasteur's development of a vaccine.

"September 13: first observations.
 

We, the undersigned Leclerc, doctor of medicine, living in the city of Tours [...] declaring that by virtue of a letter from the Prefect, under the date of September 12, 1814, given to us [...] the notice which was given to him by the Mayor of Isle Bouchard [... ...] in order to send a doctor to the aid of 20 people bitten by a rabid wolf, we went to the district of Isle Bouchard where we arrived on the 13th at four o'clock in the evening.

Royal Forest of Loches.

There, in the presence of the Mayor, we asked several people the necessary questions to make sure: 1. of the species of the animal which had bitten people; 2. of the signs or symptoms which could confirm to us that it had rabies; 3. that they were the first people who had been bitten, the day, the hour; if they had been with or without clothing; and 4. what the sex of the animal might be.

All the information taken, one assured us that the animal was a wolf without one being able to indicate its sex; that it threw itself with an extreme speed and an uncommon fury, of preference to the face of the people sometimes by opening the mouth wide, sticking its tongue out, without having inflamed gums nor the foaming mouth. That of the remainder it did not offer any sign which can make it really look like rabies, that it started its ravages on some unhappy peasants of the municipality of Cravant, that it had directed itself thereafter towards the narrow valleys of Panzoult, that after having bitten eight people, it had assuaged its fury on 2 or 3 individuals of the municipality of Villaine close to Azay le Rideau where it was killed by two woodcutters at the time when it was preparing to launch itself onto them.

Loches.

September 14 and 15: examination and care of the victims.
 

At eight o'clock in the morning, on the 14th, accompanied by the Mayors of Ile-Bouchard and Panzoult, the priest at Panzoult, and the surgeons Le Blanc and Brotier, very distinguished and enlightened men who, moreover, deserve the greatest praise for the prompt and assiduous care they have given to the victims of Panzoult, we went to the homes of the eight people of this municipality who had been bitten, and we examined them.

 

Fields near Panzoult.

The wounded having all been cauterised with fire or silver nitrate, ammonia, or a solution of antimony butter [antimony trichloride, a metallic compound soluble in alcohol, often used for cauterising at the time] in the days of the 11th, 12th, 13th, and returned the same day to the hospital by the assiduous care of the Prefect. All of them were treated again on the 15th and the 16th at the time of our departure.  All of them are also treated with suppurative ointment, mercurial frictions [an ointment more famously used for venerial disease], ammonia vesications [a treatment that causes blisters], and antimony butter. The wounds are generally in very good condition. Suppuration is well established. All are more or less equally calm; thirst and appetite follow one another, only the widow Moron had a bout of fever on the 14th and 15th; but remission on the 16th in the morning, sweating during the night. All the drinks were reduced to simple sudorifics [sweat inducing], or combined with ammonia, theriac wine [an ancient and widespread cure-all and antidote concocted by apothecaries from at least the 1st century], and bowls of antispasmodics.


September 16: Examination of the wolf.


The animal that we recognised on the 16th in the morning, at the sub-prefecture, having been brought there by the order of the sub-prefect, was indeed a she-wolf of about two years and a half, not having yet had young; rather strong, thin, having besides the red gums as inflamed; this animal was recognised by 3 of its victims that we made come from the hospital to ensure it was really the one which had bitten them; they remained of agreement that it was indeed the one; which fully confirmed its death; and that it was not any more to be feared."


 

Lambs Lettuce

In French the generic term for leafy salad greens is 'salade'. There are considered to be three main groups of salade -- mâche (lambs lettuce), laitue (lettuce), and chicorée (chicory). Mâche, or lambs lettuce, is a winter salad leaf vegetable, forming green rosettes of spoon shaped leaves and appearing at the markets from early November through to the end of February.

The parent plant is native to the Mediterranean basin, where it was gathered in the wild, and can be seen depicted in ancient Egyptian tomb paintings. It was first cultivated in France, on the banks of the Loire, in Renaissance times, and appears in paintings from that period. 

A lambs lettuce rosette.

Production today is still concentrated in the Pays de Loire (western Loire Valley around Nantes), with 85% of the annual national production of 20 000 tonnes coming from this area. France is the largest producer in the world, followed in Europe by Germany and Italy. 45% of the French production is exported to Britain, Spain and other countries.

Each French person consumes on average 4.5 kilograms of lettuce annually (mostly 'batavia', which includes varieties such as iceberg and merveille de quartre saisons, followed by other lettuce (eg cos/romaine), then oak leaf varieties; 2 kilograms of chicories (eg escarole, radicchio) and 150 grams of mâche.

Organic lambs lettuce for sale in the farm shop at Les Jardins Vergers de la Petite Rabaudière on the outskirts of Preuilly sur Claise.

Lambs lettuce may be the least eaten, but it is gaining more and more of a following, due to better presentation in the market place (packaged neatly in punnets, for example, or ready washed in plastic bags) and after recent studies revealed just how nutritious it is, with high levels of Omega 3 fatty acids, Vitamin C, beta-carotenes and fibre. It's also low in calories and a good source of folic acid.

Lambs lettuce is a soft and delicate leaf, so although it needs washing before eating because it often has sand on it, don't leave it to soak and don't be too rough with it, or you will damage the leaves. Take the roots off before you wash it, to get rid of most of the sand. It will keep 3-4 days in the fridge if protected in a plastic bag or container.

Lambs lettuce is mostly eaten raw, and pairs well with beetroot, apples, goats cheese, Roquefort, hard boiled eggs and walnuts. Because the leaves are delicate, don't dress it until the last minute -- some walnut, olive or grapeseed oil is good, but go easy on the vinegar (choose cider, balsalmic or sherry vinegar). The flavour of lambs lettuce is delicately aromatic, sweet and a bit nutty.

Keel-fruited Cornsalad Valerianella locusta f. carinata (Fr. Doucette carénée) growing wild in the Courtineau Valley, near Sainte Maure de Touraine.

The species of lambs lettuce that is cultivated is Valerianella locusta, and now there are more than a dozen cultivated varieties breed for extra succulence since the 18th century. As a wild plant it is an arable weed that thrives even in dry conditions. There are several species of Valerianella that occur in the wild in the Touraine Loire Valley, including V. locusta. As wild plants they are generally referred to as Doucette in French or cornsalad in English, rather than mâche or lambs lettuce, which seem to be reserved for the cultivated plant. All Valerianella species are edible.

Merry Christmas 2021

 

Decorated window in Preuilly's main street.

 We wish all our readers, friends and family the best possible Christmas, full of good cheer, good food and good company.

The Trend For Fewer Bigger Farms

The recently released agricultural census figures show a decline in the number of farms in Centre-Val de Loire, and a gradual increase in farm size in the region.

Limousin beef cattle near Yzeures sur Creuse.

 

No one is very surprised. As with every assessment since 1970, this one shows an ongoing decrease in the number of farms. 

Dairy cows near Charnizay.

 

Fifty years ago, there were nearly 85,000 farms in the region, but there were only 25,000 in 2010. In 2020, the number of farms in the region fell to just under 20,000, which means that one in five farms have disappeared in ten years. 

Young pigs near Betz le Chateau.

 
The cessation of activities affects some sectors more than others. Thus, mixed farming, and sheep and non-bovine grazing and dairy have lost more than a third of their farms. In terms of numbers of farms, arable crops are the most affected, with 1,859 fewer farms, but this represents a decrease of only 13% in their sector. Beef and bovine grazing and dairy, viticulture, pigs and poultry, and fruit orchards have all declined. Only horticulture and market gardening has held its own, and even had a very small increase.

Dairy goats at Chaumussay.

Livestock farming is declining because it is hard work and beginning to be unfashionable. Farmers are often no longer able to live off the income from their farm, and this is the main reason for the more general decline.

Harvesting wheat, with sunflowers in the foreground, near Azay sur Cher.

 

These 'lost' farms are not just abandoned to nature though. The total area of farmland has only decreased by 1.2% in the last ten years, with farms getting larger and larger. The average farm has thus gone from 92 hectares in 2010 to 115 hectares a decade later in Centre-Val de Loire (compare with an average farm size of 4100 hectares in Australia).

Organic viticulture near Angé.

 

Farmers are forced to expand to have an income. Agricultural prices are rather stagnant, or even decreasing, so the farmers hope for economies of scale by enlarging.  In order to make the equipment they have invested in profitable, the farmer must have more surface area to work. Organic farmers particularly blame the European Common Agricultural Policy, which pays farmers on the basis of area of land rather than how the farm is managed. In short, the larger the farm, the more European funds it receives. 

Farmyard, Roux.

Many farmers are concerned about the industrialisation of processes and the concentration of ownership. They are trying to work at addding value, to be paid more for produce and to operate at a human scale. The majority of farms are still under 100 hectares, but with 20 hectares more on average since 2010, the trend is not reassuring. This is not the model that the organic farming organisations encourage, and they do not want it to be the model that the next CAP encourages. 

Haymaking, near Preuilly sur Claise.

 

The CAP is due to be reviewed next year. French farms are expected to receive 9 billion euros in subsidies for the period 2023-27, but disappointingly, once again, the signs are that there will be no significant changes to policy. 

Harvesting wheat, near Preuilly sur Claise.

 

One possible ray of hope is the development of certifications for quality and geographical origin. There are three times as many organic farms as 10 years ago (just under 8% of all farms), and one farm in eight has a quality or geographical origin label for their produce. There is also an indication that consumers are prepared to pay more for produce if it means farmers are better paid and thus able to make a living.

Crop spraying, near Preuilly sur Claise.

 
The number of jobs in the agricultural sector has also declined over the past ten years, with the loss of one full-time equivalent in ten in the Centre-Val de Loire region. This decrease is linked to the decrease in the number of farmers (-21%), but not only. Mechanisation aimed at making each hectare as profitable as possible has also led to a decrease in the use of labour. Wages are often the single biggest expense for a farm. For many, reducing their labour costs is a way to keep their farms.

Crops and straw near Le Petit Pressigny.

 
The farming community is hoping that the increased mechanisation and decrease in the drudgery of the work will appeal to the new generation. According to the 2020 census, more than one farmer in five is 60 years old or older in the Centre-Val de Loire region. The farming organisations and local authorities see promoting generational renewal as an urgent necessity.

Organic market garden near Preuilly sur Claise.

Christmas is Coming

Yolande, Gilberte and their team of volunteers have been busy in the past few months making and installing municipal Christmas decorations for Preuilly sur Claise. These are so much better than commercially available baubles and it is a great community project.

Walking Around in a Fog

On Tuesday December 14 we walked 6.5 kilometres with Huub and Ingrid, starting at our place in Preuilly sur Claise and doing a loop out to the hamlet of Roux and back. Here are some photos, all taken with my new phone.

A farm house in the fog.

This truffle orchard has a rather deluxe cabin, with solar power. The former vine workers hut has been lovingly restored and now serves as a retreat for the owner and his mates to sit around in the summer, drinking and playing cards.

Trust me, those tiny white flecks in the middle of the picture are Cattle Egrets Bubulcus ibis (Fr. Héron garde-boeuf).

This photo was taken as a joke, as an excuse to stop after slogging up the hill.

The ponies spot us and break into a trot.

Hurrying to meet the humans, who might have tasty treats in their pockets.

Disappointed and somewhat forlorn ponies, who have realised than no one had treats.

Watching a flock of Linnets Linaria cannabina (Fr. Linotte mélodieuse) lift off from the field where they have been feeding on seeds on the ground and wheel around in the air, finally settling for the night in the tall poplars in the middle of the photo.

Red deer Cervus elaphus (Fr. la Cerf élaphe) hoof print I would say.

The Wolves are Back

When we first moved to Preuilly twelve years ago it was becoming obvious that wolves that had crossed the mountains from Italy into France were resident, breeding and thriving. Numbers increased every year and the packs began to spread. But, I confidently proclaimed on this very blog, we won't ever see them again in the wild in lowland France. I was wrong.

After an absence of around a century, wolves are back in the Touraine and Berry. A lone wolf Canis lupus (Fr. loup) was seen in late November near Cinq Mars la Pile, Indre et Loire, photographed and officially identified. One was also seen in Vienne on 3 December. Now a dead sheep has been found at Ruffec, not far from Le Blanc in Indre. 

Wolf scupltures by Amandine Bocquelet.

About ten days after the observation of the wolf at Cinq Mars la Pile, two sheep farmers in Indre reported that several of their ewes had been killed or wounded. The Office francais de la biodiversité has announced that wolf attack cannot be excluded. They've looked at the carcasses and the wounds, the puncture marks from the teeth and how the carcass was consumed, but it is difficult to pronounce on cause of death with certainty because scavengers and weather conditions may have altered the scene of the attack and the appearance of the carcass.

The OFB goes on to say that despite these exceptional sightings in Centre-Val de Loire we are a long way from having packs of wolves roaming around here. The types of sightings we've been having are not surprising in autumn and early winter. The pups born in the spring are old enough to take their place in their pack, which forces some mature non-breeding pack members to leave and disperse to find territories of their own.

A wolf in Haute Touche Zoo, not far from us, near Azay le Ferron.

These lone wolves are capable of travelling hundreds of kilometres in a handful of days before they settle in a territory. So it is possible that the wolf which killed the sheep at Ruffec is already far away.

There is a national action plan by the Ministry of Agriculture which aims at maintaining and cohabiting with this protected species, which has been making a comeback in France since the 1990s. The State can give a derogation so that a wolf may be shot in certain cases, as well as compensation to farmers for animals killed and veterinary care for those injured.

Walking Around Etableau From Le Grand Pressigny

The photos from this 10 kilometre walk on 9 December were taken with my new smart phone, a Wiko Power U10. It will take me a while to get used to it. We started in Le Grand Pressigny, walked to Etableau and crossed the River Claise, then up into the forest, across the fields and back down to the river level, finishing by walking along a section of the greenway (Fr. voie verte) back into Le Grand Pressigny.

In the middle of the photo you can see an old ford across the Claise. The road between Preuilly sur Claise and Le Grand Pressigny runs along the skyline.

Etableau, with the ruined mediaeval chateau up on the right, and the house of the passeur in the middle, with the brick chimney. 

Etableau is on the Claise and I was standing on the bridge to take the photo. Before there was a bridge there was a ford. When the river was too deep to ford on foot the passeur (ferryman) assisted people across, either on horseback or in a small boat called a fûtreau.

Moss covered fallen tree in the forest.

Walking through the forest.

Moss growing up saplings.

Denise V handing out chocolates while we take a short break.

The sign says 'L'Etang Pelard' ('Pelard Dam'), but the only water in sight is this puddle.

The ever mysterious Etang Pelard, which is a rare willow carr habitat. Both Dominique and I always feel like the Lady of the Lake will appear at any moment from the depths.

Dominique checking the sex of these young horses. They are fillies.

Crossing the upper level fields.

This oak tree with several mistletoe clumps stands at the point where several fields meet.