Guided
Hiking

Farming and livestock

In front of you, below the plateau, you can see the village of Faverolles. Implanted in the region at the North-West of the plateau of Langres, its average altitude is 370m high. (350m to the Suize bridge, against 468m to the highest point on Martroy Mount). Its relief is uneven, it includes the valley of Suize embedded between limestone cliffs; dried valleys called “combs”; low mounds, Martroy or Montgessey and open valleys such as Faule or Charmoy. Built under the hill of Faule and on the valley of Suize, the village is on the hillside.

Endowed with several springs, the local region is composed of pastures and ploughing fields in the valley and some “combs”, of apple and plum orchards. Then, away from the village, there are intensive farm lands. These shallow grounds which lay on limestone are said to filter because they do not retain water.

We find cereals: wheat, rape-seed, barley, as well as corn intended as animal feed. It’s called “mixed-farming”. The breeding of milking cows is largely practised, with species such as Prim’ Holstein, Simmental and Montbéliarde, sometimes also bred for their meat. Twice a day, the cows are milked in standard buildings. Collected every two days, this milk production is mostly used for Langres’ fabrication of emmental cheese.

The old barns which used to be alongside the farmers’ houses have been replaced by more imposing agricultural buildings outside of the village. This evolution is due to an intensified modern agriculture accompanied by a more and more mechanization. For example, we can see below a group of buildings destined to house the animals in winter and their newborns all year round. We also find a milking room for the cows, a seed silo, a building to store hay and straw.

Representing the plateau of Langres, this “mixed-farming” type agriculture marks the landscape. For example, the spaces between forests and fields, the hedges and the fallow lands have unfortunately disappeared. These areas sheltered a diverse fauna and flora and played a depolluting role.

Continue your descent to Faverolles, for a break in the village square.