Charolais beef

From March to November, Charolais graze peacefully in the region’s lush meadows.
When the first frosts arrive, the cows are brought indoors, into clean, well-ventilated cattle sheds.  During this period, the feed, although different from outdoor grazing, continues to be composed of vegetable matter – hay, silage and cereal.  This feed can be supplemented with cattle cake, made from sunflower seed or linseed – a source of additional nitrogen.
In order to obtain a high quality beef, sufficiently marbled and flavoured, the cattle are then fattened up.  The proportion of cereal and cattle cake is increased so that the cattle achieve an optimum weight for slaughter.

Throughout the year the cattle farmer maintains the pastures and their hedgerows.  This helps preserve the traditional landscape « meadows criss-crossed by ancient hedgerows , known as the « bocage. »  
At the end of Spring, the cattle farmers cut the weeds that cannot be eaten by the cattle - false sorrel, thistles, ferns, bulrushes, etc. This must be done before the plants seed to limit propagation. This aids the growth of good quality pasture, thus giving the cattle a more nutritious feed.
At the end of every year the farmer cuts the low hedges of his farm, and the high hedges every three years.