La Roque-d 'Anthéron-organic lambs breeder: "the holidays? never heard of it!"

Getting Chrislaine Alazard to talk is kind of like asking her to take a vacation. Almost impossible mission! This 41-year-old woman doesn't have time for chatter. Between her cattle and her organic cereal production, she has no time to be out of work.

This insatiable worker has always been immersed in the world of sheep farming since her parents owned a herd of sheep in Eygalières. Initially, not much of a fan of the profession-she sees her parents work seven days a week-she begins to appreciate it by helping her family once in a while. "and then," she admits, "I wasn't cut out for study. School, to tell the truth, bothered me!"

Year after year, she learns to love this job. She worked full-time on the exploitation of her parents for 3-4 years before she decided to look for a place to set up her own farm with her own convictions. It acquired 100 hectares in La Roque d 'Anthéron in 2003.

Six years later, she feels the wind turning and the demands explode. She decides to convert her farm to organic. Of the 100 hectares, 20 are devoted to the production of organic cereals that it produces itself. Organic OK but also a short circuit for perfect traceability. "I want to respect the environment and above all respect the people I feed," she insists.

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The herd consists of 10 rams Ile-de-France and more than 600 Merino ewes of Arles.

They transhued from 15 June in Savoie, while Chrislaine took care of the fodder in La Roque. When they return in October, it's time for the lamping. "such an intense moment," she warns. And from October to June, the animals graze outside. Chrislaine's days in the middle of the season: from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. an unrelenting and bitter profession: "it's physical, but it takes a lot of patience. It's impossible to do this job without loving it or you Don't last a day."

His happiness: living outside, not having a boss "even if you're still a slave at the end of the day! I work 7 days a week and in my life, I've never taken a vacation. But I love what I do. That's the point." Without revealing too much of her life, she nevertheless evokes her 16-year-old daughter, whom she has not seen grow up. Three-quarters of its production is sold in a short circuit (a quarter goes to a slaughterhouse in Tarascon which takes care of the slaughter and cutting): on the farm at Easter and Christmas, in the AMAP (Association for the maintenance of Peasant Agriculture), in organic shops, in restaurants (in particular the Château de Fonscolombe in Puy Sainte-Réparade), in markets (the one of producers this summer in Lourmarin every Tuesday evening)...

It markets organic lamb meat in package form (cassette or vacuum). In the summer, she also offers merguez, sausages and chopped steaks. "I also work with a craft company in Fourques which, from my meat, makes terrine, Navarin, prepared feet and packets...". In the future, she hopes to set up a meat cutting shop and an on-farm store.