Greetings from the Haut Corbieres

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Greetings from the Haut Corbieres
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Pete Shield

Joined: 04 Nov 2012
Posts: 5
Location: Domaine de Montrouch, Haut Corbieres, France

Posted: Sun Nov 04, 12 9:49 am Post subject: Greetings from the Haut Corbieres

Hi,
Just a quick hello. My partner and I are just setting out as organically certified (Ecocert)aromatic herbs and plant growers in the high Corbieres area of the Languedoc Roussillon region of France.

We have 26 hectares on the side of a mountain- the vast majority an unmanaged thicket of forest, green and white oak with a bit of ash. In that there is a south facing field that I am slowly reclaiming, cutting terraces and mounting at the highest point 20 metres of clear (Ish) plastic covered poly tunnel, then an open air terrace and on the third terrace a shaded poly tunnel.

We have some water from a source, and capture rainwater to augment that supply. We are in the process of installing dry loos and a grey water recovery system to minimise the amount of water we use for domestic needs.

We have already installed a large PV system as we are far off the grid, and use wood as our heating fuel. The water is heated by gas as is the cooker as we just didn't have the cash to instal a photothermal solution.

We have just started on the market circuit- doing three markets a week- Perpignan and Narbonne organic markets and the general market in Lezignan Corbieres.

We are new to all of this and are facing a very steep learning curve- we have so much to learn about planting cycles, organic farming in general, low water gardening techniques, poultry raising and sustainable forestry management- and a million and one other things,

To start with I'll probably asking tonnes of question, but hopefully in time I maybe able to pass on what we have learned as we go along.

As a life long coeliac I already know a fair amount about gluten free cooking, so maybe I can contribute on that front.

I also know a bit about worms as I have a basement full of them.

Anyway looking forward to meeting you all.

I run a couple of websites that infrequently get updated.
https://www,naturalchoices.co.uk and https://www.montrouchorganic.com both need a lot of work but this farming business takes up alot of time.

Pete

Green Rosie

Joined: 13 May 2007
Posts: 10498
Location: Calvados, France

Posted: Sun Nov 04, 12 9:52 am Post subject:
Bonjour from up in Normandie Sounds exciting what you are up to - good luck!

Rusticwood

Joined: 01 Dec 2009
Posts: 2154
Location: All over the South West

Posted: Sun Nov 04, 12 9:54 am Post subject:
Hello from sunny Devon

vegplot

Joined: 19 Apr 2007
Posts: 21301
Location: Bethesda, Gwynedd

Posted: Sun Nov 04, 12 9:57 am Post subject:
Welcome to Downsizer. We spent a week in that area a few years ago driving around the mountains. Very beautiful. I can't remember where it was precisely but there was a road cut into the cliff face of a winding valley, very impressive.

mousjoos

Joined: 05 Jun 2006
Posts: 1986
Location: VERY Sunny SW France

Posted: Sun Nov 04, 12 10:06 am Post subject:
Hello & welcome from the other side of the Montagne Noire

Pete Shield

Joined: 04 Nov 2012
Posts: 5
Location: Domaine de Montrouch, Haut Corbieres, France

Posted: Sun Nov 04, 12 10:07 am Post subject:

mousjoos wrote:

Hello & welcome from the other side of the Montagne Noire

Ah the Montagne Noir- where the rain comes from!

mousjoos

Joined: 05 Jun 2006
Posts: 1986
Location: VERY Sunny SW France

Posted: Sun Nov 04, 12 10:09 am Post subject:
.........comes to & stays more often than not !

earthyvirgo

Joined: 24 Aug 2007
Posts: 7972
Location: creating prints in the loft, Gerlan

Posted: Sun Nov 04, 12 10:18 am Post subject:

Hello and welcome,

Looks like a wonderful place. Stunning landscape.
Very remote

We (vegplot and I) were in Collioure on the holiday he mentioned.

We travelled into the mountains a bit but not as far as you, Castlenou was a memorable visit, as were the Cloisters at Elne.

I can't recall the name of the Gorge we drove through either .... apart from the fact that it was hair-raising.
...yes, I can, it just came to me, Gorge De Galamus

EV

mochyn

Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 24585
Location: mid-Wales

Posted: Sun Nov 04, 12 10:22 am Post subject:
Croeso from Wales

Pete Shield

Joined: 04 Nov 2012
Posts: 5
Location: Domaine de Montrouch, Haut Corbieres, France

Posted: Sun Nov 04, 12 10:32 am Post subject:

vegplot wrote:

Welcome to Downsizer.

We spent a week in that area a few years ago driving around the mountains. Very beautiful. I can't remember where it was precisely but there was a road cut into the cliff face of a winding valley, very impressive.

Ah probably the Gorge de Galamus between St Paul and Sologne- very very impressive, if not a little scary- just up the road from us

Went

Joined: 19 Mar 2006
Posts: 6968

Posted: Sun Nov 04, 12 11:07 am Post subject:
Hello and welcome from Asturias...

gardening-girl

Joined: 25 Feb 2009
Posts: 6024
Location: Somerset.

Posted: Sun Nov 04, 12 12:03 pm Post subject:
Hello,you are in my favourite part of France. My son has just been diagnosed as ceoliac,any advice very greatfully recieved.

vegplot

Joined: 19 Apr 2007
Posts: 21301
Location: Bethesda, Gwynedd

Posted: Sun Nov 04, 12 12:06 pm Post subject:

Pete Shield wrote:

vegplot wrote:

Welcome to Downsizer.

Ah probably the Gorge de Galamus between St Paul and Sologne- very very impressive, if not a little scary- just up the road from us

Sounds like it, I'm hopeless with place names. There was also an (14th C?) tiny church with original decoration in the tiny hamlet. I remember it as there was also an old grey Massey Ferguson parked outside the village hall.

Just located it. Cubières-sur-Cinoble.

Nicky cigreen

Joined: 25 Jun 2007
Posts: 9864
Location: Devon, uk

Posted: Sun Nov 04, 12 12:34 pm Post subject:
welcome

Pete Shield

Joined: 04 Nov 2012
Posts: 5
Location: Domaine de Montrouch, Haut Corbieres, France

Posted: Sun Nov 04, 12 1:11 pm Post subject:

gardening-girl wrote:

Hello,you are in my favourite part of France.
My son has just been diagnosed as ceoliac,any advice very greatfully recieved.

How old is he? First thing I would do is get in touch with the Ceoliac Society, go through all their research and get your hands on their great guide to products that are gluten free. Do loads of reading and practising of cooking and baking using gluten free solutions- Dove Farm organic products are wonderful- I order their flour by the 16kg sacks and get people to bring it over. There are a wide range of books and resources available- not like when I was first diagnosed 40 years ago.

Once you feel suitably informed the key decision you have to make is whether you are going to go gluten free as a family, or are you going to essentially cook two sets of meals everyday- one gluten free and 'normal' food for everyone else.

My advice, for what it is worth is to go gluten free on just about everything but bread (Big price difference). That way your son won't feel 'weird'- also as a family you will eat a lot better as you're will find that pure ingredients form the basis of your diet and there won't be a chicken twizzle in sight.

For those that need a Mars bar or a Twix every now and again it's not the end of the world, just a return to secret treats being hidden out of sight and consumed when your son is asleep.

That's how my family did it and we all seemed fine, still is a bit strange when I visit my folks nowadays and see bought biscuits in the cupboard!

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