Farm

Farmer protests intensify in south-west France

Farmers say they are ‘fed up of empty promises’ and worried how they and future generations will survive

Plan for giant chicken farm divides residents and farmers in France

Critics say the plan is ‘social and ecological nonsense’ but proponents say it will boost French chicken production

Adopt a goat scheme in France looks for landowners to save animals

Around 1,000 goats have been saved from the abattoir in five years

practical

French village rallies behind farmer told to quieten her chickens

A nearby second-home owner had contacted her lawyer to make the clucking stop

New law to stop ‘townie’ complaints over French farm smells and noises

MPs who voted for the law hope it will free up courts from cases about farmers ‘just doing their jobs’

Solar panels, ‘ugly’ tractors, 2024 forecast: French property updates

Our recap of property stories you may have missed

French farmer fined €105,000 over ‘ugly’ tractors

Neighbour complained of an ‘open-air dump’ near his upmarket gîte. Farmer says neighbour used misleading images in court

Career change in France: Alpacas really feel like family

Sophie Hargreaves tells The Connexion how she went from housing to husbandry

16,000 ducks slaughtered due to avian flu case in Brittany

The case comes amid a major spread of the illness across poultry and wild birds in the region

Protests as French farmer fined €100,000 over smelly and noisy cows

The farmer now faces financial difficulties and has hit back at the decision, saying ‘the noise and the smell of my cows are country nuisances, but nothing abnormal’

Noise and smell of cows land French farmer with €100,000 fine

The ruling, which the farmer says will cause him to lose his business, is the latest in a series of disputes between rural farmers and residents

French syndicate denies error despite farmhouse’s €2,000 water bill

British resident now plans formal mediation proceedings to challenge the huge garden water bill at his isolated home

Shopping local: France's AMAP farm basket scheme explained

Each month, we take a selection of reader questions and answer them. One of July's questions is about France's AMAP scheme and whether it is good value.

Alert: Cheese recall after brucellosis case found in French dairy farm

Reblochon cheese sold in supermarkets throughout France could be contaminated by the disease, which can spread to humans

Covid-19 confirmed at French mink farm; 1,000 slaughtered

A strain of the virus was confirmed at a farm in Eure-et-Loir, with test results for a further two French farms still pending

EU may outlaw cage farming after 1.4m sign new initiative

Farming using cages could be banned in the European Union after almost 1.4 million EU citizens signed a new initiative against the practice, with the proposal now set to be examined by the European Commission.

Tips for renovating roof timbers in a French farmhouse

Nick Inman charts the ups and downs of renovating an old French farmhouse by himself.

15+ horses killed and mutilated in France this year

One horse, which had already died of natural causes, was found with its ear, eye and nose removed this week. The attack is the latest in a string of around 15 similar incidents in France this year.

The eco-friendly French family preparing to live 'off-grid'

The coronavirus pandemic and confinement has made many people think about the way we live, such as this family who, as the 'world faces collapse', are preparing to live their lives off-grid.

How to repel wild boars in France: try juniper wood oil

Farmers and hunters are sharing the latest tip for keeping wild boar away from crops – juniper wood essential oil.

France to introduce bug that eats harmful ragweed plant

Should a bug that eats harmful ragweed be deliberately introduced into France?

British birds destroying farmland crops in Brittany

Jackdaws - small crows that eat corn - have caused €3 million-worth of damage to farmland crops in Côtes-d’Armor and Finistère (Brittany) in the past 10 years, according to a report.

Positive environmental news in France: June

In this month's round up of the positive environmental news making headlines in France, we talk waste, pesticide use, and solar panels on a supermarket.

€30,000 reward for info on southwest France bear killer

A €30,000 reward is being offered by NGO Sea Shepherd for any information about a Pyrenees bear shot in Ustou (Ariège, Occitanie) on June 9. Police are investigating the killing.

Hen sales boom in France during confinement

Farmers in France report a boom in sales of hens during the last two months as many people adopted or bought them during the confinement period.

Farmers can spray pesticides within 5m of rural homes

Nature and ecology groups supported by about 100 mayors have lost an urgent legal challenge to laws allowing farmers to spray weedkiller and pesticides close to homes in the French countryside.

Wild boar numbers spike in France due to confinement

The wild boar population in the south of France has grown rapidly during confinement due to a lack of hunting and ongoing climate change, sparking increased tensions among the agricultural and hunting communities.

France opens borders to European farm harvest workers

France has opened its borders to European agricultural workers, who will now take much-needed picking and harvesting jobs on French farms, even as the borders remain closed or restricted for most other travel.

Undercover oysters deter French shellfish thieves

Fake oysters that contain tracking electronics are helping prevent hundreds of thousands of euros-worth of thefts

Covid-19: France calls public to help French farmers

The French government is calling on people who are “not working at this time” to “go into the fields” and help farmers and producers during the Covid-19 crisis.

Foie gras: French fraud report finds major issues

Blocks of foie gras - a popular food over the holiday season in France - have been found to not comply with laws on composition and labelling, a new fraud report has found.

West France wolf sighting confirmed after ewe deaths

The animal spotted and photographed in western France last week has been confirmed as a grey wolf, which is a protected species in the country, authorities have said.

French court fines farmer €8,000 over cow farm stench

A farmer in central France has been ordered to pay €8,000 after neighbours complained about the intense and “unbearable” smell of his cow farm.

Advice given as olive harvest underway in France

Olive harvest season is in full swing in France, with the crop ready to pick at this time of year, and some advice being issued for anyone harvesting now.

Severe storms and flooding hit south of France

Nine departments in the south of France remain on orange alert for rainstorms and floods, after severe flooding has already caused campsites to be evacuated, and posed serious danger to livestock.

Fresh local strawberries in winter? No issue in Paris

Capital start-up sells fresh, locally-grown strawberries all year round

Tests on farm food near Rouen plant fire 'reassuring'

Analysis on further samples could clear way for harvests to take place

France debates mandatory 5-10 metre pesticide distance

The French government is considering introducing a mandatory distance of 5-10 metres between fields treated with pesticides, and homes - but some critics say this will not go far enough to improve health.

‘Olive tree killer’ bacteria arrives in France

Two olive trees in France have been contaminated with the “olive tree killer” bacteria xylella fastidiosa, which cannot be killed directly, and which has already destroyed more than a million trees in Italy.

French scientists develop human urine crop fertiliser

A team of French and Swiss engineers is working to make human urine a credible alternative to chemical crop fertiliser.

New farm is thriving in the darkness

Mushroom producer makes use of disused underground carpark in Paris

Wolves on rise in France as bears wreak mountain havoc

Wolf numbers are on the rise in France, it has been confirmed, in the same week as farmers have reported a record number of livestock deaths linked to mountain bears.

Another French cockerel owner fights noise ruling

Three weeks after Maurice won France’s heart, the owner of another noisy cockerel has launched a petition to be allowed to keep his bird, despite a court ruling that it needs to go.

French town's glyphosate ban for farmers 'illegal'

But mayor insists she will not withdraw local decree outlawing use of controversial herbicide

Escaped bison herd killed in southeast France

Decision to shoot 19 animals made for safety reasons, prefecture says

French potatoes recalled by Lidl in insecticide risk

Bags of French-grown potatoes have been recalled by supermarket group Lidl after the produce was found to have breached the maximum allowed limit for residues of the insecticide fosthiazate.

Famous French countryside cockerel gathers support

Maurice, the most famous cockerel in France - who has become a symbol of the struggle between rural and urban living - will be supported by several other cockerels during his trial this Thursday (July 4).

See inside: Obama family’s luxury villa in France

Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States, has chosen the Gard (Occitanie) for a week’s family holiday this summer, and images of the €55,000-per-week luxury villa have now been revealed.

Battery-farmed eggs less popular with French consumers

Most hens’ eggs bought in France today do not come from battery-farmed hens for the first time ever, as consumer habits shift towards eggs from free-range and organic farms.

Start at the end to create order out of chaos on site

Nick Inman charts the ups and downs of doing it himself in our regular column... here, the important point of organising work space

Polish beef scandal: All meat imported to France found

All 800 kg of the spoiled beef that was imported to France from Poland has now been identified and taken off French shelves, the minister for Agriculture has confirmed this weekend.

‘Wwoofers’ working on organic farms in France

It is now officially an “opportunity” rather than “work” but the idea is the same... and it is firmly established on organic farms in France.

Breton rock goat in lucky Christmas escape

A goat on the Breton island of Île d'Ouessant (Ushant) had a lucky escape this Christmas after requiring rescue from a rock by the emergency coastguard.

Rare white truffle given origin certificate in Paris

An exclusive white truffle has been given its own “certificate of origin” and precise traceability information for the first time, by high-end Parisian truffle restaurant and deli group La Maison de la Truffe.

French cheese stocks suffer due to summer drought

Stocks of French Comté and Cantal cheese may drop significantly this year due to the effects of the summer heatwave and drought, producers have said, with some saying this is “the worst year ever”.

French Assembly rejects glyphosate ban for second time

The National Assembly has rejected a move to legally ban the herbicide glyphosate completely, for the second time this year.

Neonicotinoids to be banned in France from September 1

Neonicotinoid pesticides, widely seen as a key cause of declining bee populations, are to be forbidden in France from this Saturday September 1.

Mont d’Or seasonal cheese production begins

Production of the famous seasonal cheese from the Haut-Doubs (Bourgogne-Franche-Comté) - the Mont d’Or - begins this week, with the first cheeses expected to be available from September 10.

French beekeepers get €3m boost but industry critical

The French beekeeping industry is to receive a three-million-euro boost from the government, the Ministry of Agriculture has confirmed, although a beekeeper union has said this does not go far enough.

French group calls for ban on 'scandal' horse hormones

A French welfare association is calling for a ban on imported horse hormones to French farms after a video emerged showing serious mistreatment of pregnant horses in South America.

No glyphosate in France by 2021 despite MPs' 'no' vote

France will continue to work towards removing the herbicide glyphosate from use by 2021, President Macron has confirmed, despite MPs overwhelmingly rejecting the proposals in a vote on Monday night.

Start-up rents pollination bees to boost fruit farms

A Nouvelle-Aquitaine start-up is renting super-productive pollination bees to agricultural fruit farmers to boost their returns and help address the “disappearing bee” crisis.

Apricots arrive early amid ‘unfair Spain competition’

Apricots from the Pyrénées-Orientales region have arrived two weeks early in ideal climate conditions, but, despite this good news, producers are accusing Spanish farmers of “unfair competition”.

Controversial ‘1,000-cow farm’ opens in the Creuse

A group of 45 farmers in the Creuse has created a “fattening up” collective farm, which could accommodate up to 1,000 cows at full capacity, amid critics who say it amounts to “factory” farming.

'Pig-Bay' website hopes to change way you order pork

Digital start-up will allow food lovers to order their meat from individual animals

Cracking service from farm’s 24/7 egg vending machines

Residents in Côte-d’Or (Bourgogne-Franche-Comté) can now get their eggs day and night after a farm installed five “automatic egg vending machines” on the side of the road.

Tarn-et-Garonne farmers block motorway access

Protesters prevent access to entrances and exits to A20 near Montauban and A62 near Castelsarrasin

Avian flu: Over 2,700 ducks slaughtered in the Landes

Over 2,700 ducks have been slaughtered in the Landes region as a preventative measure against a suspected strain of avian ‘flu.

Better deal for farmers but higher prices...

Discussions on state of food industry lead to new law rebalancing market with manufacturers and distributors

Ariège farm makes foie gras without disputed ‘gavage’

An experimental farm in the Ariège has been raising geese to make foie gras without the use of the controversial “gavage” feeding technique.

No slaughter for 12,000 Lot-et-Garonne bird flu ducks

The 12,000 ducks in the Lot-et-Garonne infected with a low-risk strain of bird flu will not be killed, it was confirmed today.

Historic black Gascony chicken makes a comeback

The black Gascony chicken is making a comeback after almost disappearing in recent years, with farmers seeking to champion the variety in farms and on dinner tables.

Organic food sector booming in France

Organic food products - known in France as ‘ bio ’ - are soaring in popularity in France, according to figures from a new report published this week.

Somme farmer wants farm with nearly 40 000 chickens

A chicken farmer in the Somme wants to open a huge breeding farm containing almost 40 000 chickens, in an area where a “1 000 cow farm” has already caused controversy.

Pyrénées farmers denounce rise in bears killing sheep

Over 400 sheep are said to have been killed by wild bears in the Pyrénées in the past month, with some saying the killings are threatening farmers’ livelihoods and the sustainability of the area.