Stéphane Labrouche grew up on his parents’ pig farm, La Ferme des Vallons 40, in Vielle-Tursan west of Aire-sur-l’Adour in Landes. “I grew up with the pigs,” he jokes, “and never thought of leaving.”
He says they also grow all the cereals they feed to the pigs, and with a small group of other local farmers bought an abattoir which is only 10km from the farm. “It’s important because lengthy journeys stress the animals.”
He set up the processing operation with his cousins, and they make pâtés, spreads, rillettes and a whole range of prepared dishes including cassoulet, tajine, pork curry, sausages with lentils, dried and fresh hams, dried sausages, coppa, chorizo, rolled pork belly, garlic sausages, boudins, knacks and, of course, a whole range of fresh meat.
The buildings used to make pâtés and charcuterie are on the farm, as is the farm shop. “We do everything here, making it a very short supply chain. We keep Gascon pigs. It is a very traditional breed which was heading towards extinction at one point but is now saved. We also rear large whites, and breed them with Duroc males. This combination gives a really excellent quality of meat.”
Dried hamFerme des Vallons 40
They don’t send their pigs to the abattoir until they weigh around 200kgs. “Most farmers send them off at 90kgs because they reach that weight very quickly and then their growth slows. It takes proportionally much longer to reach 200kgs but compare a small green tomato to a large ripe red tomato – the taste is incomparable. That’s why we don’t slaughter before 200kgs.”
Stéphane LabroucheFerme des Vallons 40
They sell the majority of their produce direct to the public via their farm shop which is open on Monday afternoons, Tuesday mornings, all day Wednesday, Thursday afternoons and all day Friday. (The hours are on their website.) “We also sell the wine made at the local cooperative from the grapes grown in our vineyard.”
They also sell to small farmers’ shops in the area and other small outlets in Paris and Bordeaux. Their online shop carries a full range of products which can be ordered online for delivery by Chronofresh. Business is booming for the farm, so much so that they are building a new drying room for their saucissons secs because the current one is too small.
