on the Mézenc plateau, with a Fin Gras beef breeder

A thick mist covers the high plateaus of Mezenc. Here, on the borders of the Ardèche, winter has not yet said its last word. The cows are already in the meadows, pampered by the farmers. Nicolas Vernet, breeder at Maison Vernet, wears the red blouse and scarf, characteristic of Fin Gras beef breeders. In the Massif Central, his herds are the only ones not to transhume. “It is a tradition that dates from the Middle Ages, from the Carthusian monks of Bonnefoy. [C’est] a real know-how that has not really evolved for several centuries”comments the breeder.

His farm has 60 animals. They remain there for three years, twice as long as in conventional breeding. They are fed exclusively with natural hay by hand, as required by the specifications for Fin Gras beef. Seven animals were produced in 2022, then sold on a short circuit in the restaurant of his wife, Céline. “We have quality meat, extremely marbled. This fat will diffuse into the broth.”she explains.