For the 3rd year in a row, Sophie and Baptiste, shepherds from Ariège, set up their flock under the skies of Gruissan. This winter transhumance proves beneficial for all the partners involved.
With her hands resting on her staff, her dog sitting at her feet, Sophie, an Ariège shepherdess, watches over her flock. Behind him, the island of Saint-Martin. In front of her, beyond the camels of Salins, the horizon. His sheep graze quietly in the vineyard designated for them. This third year of winter transhumance on Gruissan lands promises to be auspicious. The arrival of its 300 ewes and lambs in the parking lot provided free of charge by the Salins was greeted by a welcoming committee led by André Bedos, deputy mayor responsible for sustainable development of the region. When the truck doors opened, his animals rushed onto the first grass. Marc, a local wine grower who prepared his land to receive them, was moved. Serene, the shepherdess smiles. “I feel like I'm coming home. I have 3 homes in fact: on the farm, in the mountains in the summer hut and here, in this clearing on the island of Saint-Martin”. After three winters spent between Saint-Martin Island and Clape, the evidence is there: his sheep benefit the most. She and her partner Baptiste are convinced of it. Last summer, bluetongue decimated 30 to 60% of livestock from the Pyrénées-Orientales to Ariège. They were not impacted. “The fact that here they enjoy a varied, different diet certainly helps to strengthen their immune defenses. And the fact of being outside all year round too. This allows them to better cope with the hazards of health crises. All this confirms that this system brings a lot to the herd.” To the herd, as well as to all stakeholders: landowners see their farms maintained in a natural and organic manner, shepherds save money on hay and care, which is obviously beneficial for the community which has released financial aid for breeders affected by this summer's epidemic.
