Despite the anger which continues to rise in the peasant world, despite the daily difficulties, Elsa Chastel, based in Solaure-en-Diois (Drôme) is holding on. And she has just launched a new challenge by participating in the Miss France agricultural competition.
She has already demonstrated to defend her profession and could well do so again in the coming days and weeks. Elsa Chastel, 21 years old, farmer based in Solaure-en-Diois, is part of the new agricultural generation who, despite the pitfalls, does not give up: “I have always wanted to do this since I was very little, because my parents, my grandparents, my great-grandparents have always been farmers. And so it was an obvious choice to take over the family farm. I did a general baccalaureate, then a BPREA (Professional Agricultural Business Manager Certificate, editor's note) to end up settling in March 2024 in Gaec with my father and my partner.“. The Gaec de la Trapanelle produces grapes, nuts, cereals, lavender and vegetables.
Diversification, essential to get by
So the movement of farmers' discontent regains strength, Elsa does not deny the pitfalls. But faced with the problem, she says that it won't last forever and that we have to adapt. The young woman also brought the touch of modernity and diversification to her operation. “What I have developed is the market gardening workshop, which did not exist in my parents' time, which I sell directly on the market. I also took the nuts out of the cooperative to sell them directly, to try to make more income. I did a processing workshop, where I transform my nuts into darlings, crunchies, and pastries, to try to make the most of them.“Elsa has energy and ideas but there are still small moments of discouragement: “When I have a little slack, I look at what I have already done so far, everything I have brought to the operation and that it has worked. SO, why wouldn't it continue to work? ?“.
A difficult job that always motivates young people
The young woman smiles when asked if many young people of this age still consider doing her job. “There are plenty of young people who want it. We for example in Diois in the canton in the canton of young farmers there are about 35 of uswe are all between 20 and 30 years old so there are young people who are still motivated! It is we who feed France all the same. We can be very proud of it, people need us, so don't hesitate to get started“.
To raise awareness of the profession, the Miss and Misters France competition
To make her passion known to the general public, Elsa Chastel also embarked on a new challenge, the competition Miss Agricole France 2025a very serious competition on the Internet. For the moment, she is the only candidate in Drôme. There is also a candidate from Ardèche, her name is Lola Teillas, 19 years old, based in Peaugres. To vote, simply go to the Miss and Mister Agri France Facebook page, look for the portrait of the candidate from Drôme or from the Ardèche candidate and put a thumbs up under the post. The winners will be revealed on Facebook on December 14 from 8 p.m. during the Miss France evening, it is tradition. In 2019, it was a Drômoise, Clémentine Rigaud from Beaufort-sur-Gervanne, who was elected Miss France Agricole.
France
