A brand-new dairy processing workshop has opened its doors in Bains at the Gaec Élevage Négron farm. There, Amandine has fulfilled a childhood dream by embarking on the production of delicious cheeses with ham hocks, shaped like tomes or bricks, using milk from her Montbéliarde dairy cows, some of which regularly win awards at the competitions where they are shown.
What are the specific characteristics of your GAEC? ?
Amandine Négron: My husband Olivier and I represent the fourth generation of this family farm, and I think the future is secure because our 10-year-old son is passionate about cows. And our 6-year-old daughter comes to help me in the cheese dairy.
The farm has 52 Montbéliarde dairy cows and about 100 heifers. They are fed primarily grass in the summer and are given grass silage and corn in the winter. We also grow lentils on our farm.
What types of cheese do you make with the milk from your cows?
Amandine Négron: These are local cheeses with worms, matured with tiny mites that form their rinds. I make them in the shape of tomes or bricks and I've named them "L'Avenir" (The Future). As a side note, you should know that the Petit Velavien cheese was produced 100 years ago in the old cheese factory across the street from mine, and it even won an award in Paris.
What was your training?
Amandine Négron: I worked as a cheesemaker for six years at the Faugaud farm in Saint-Jean-Lachalm. This allowed me to learn the production techniques. It's the know-how and the cows' diet that make the difference in the cheeses we produce in this region.
Do you now have a brand new processing workshop?
Amandine Négron: Yes, it's just been completed! It's the culmination of a passion. I did my first cheesemaking internship at 14 with Pierre Boyer in Saint-Germain-Laprade. I promised him I would open my own workshop. And that's exactly what I did last August. The first part was converted from an existing stone building, and a 60m² extension was added. It's a wonderful workspace for me, and its size will allow me to increase my cheese production.
What does production represent today, and what are your objectives?
Amandine Négron: We produce 500,000 liters of milk on the farm. 450,000 liters go to the Savencia dairy, which produces Saint-Agur cheese, and the other 50,000 are used to feed our calves. We plan to keep 100,000 liters of the 450,000 for cheesemaking.
Have some of your cows won several awards?
Amandine Négron: Olivier is indeed passionate about competitions. This allows him to have quite a few outlets in terms of reselling animals. It all started in 2014 with a cow named Griotte. She participated in Miss Montbéliarde Haute-Loire before competing in national competitions, notably in Paris. She gave birth to daughters who continued her lineage, including Miss Occitanie, who won the Miss on the Farm competition in 2021 before going to Paris. Griotte's granddaughter, named Tahiti, has taken up the mantle!
How can I get your cheeses?
Amandine Négron: Since I do not have a sales outlet at the cheese shop, they can be obtained in 7 producer stores, including Isatys in Saint-Germain-Laprade, Le Jardin de Johana in Saint-Vincent, Salaison Torrilhon, located in Chaspuzac, or even the Super U in Aiguilhe.
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