The Bicubic, in Romont, with AGRI Friborg Freiburg, will open on January 12 the Glâne section of the photographic exhibition “Passion and tradition – Portraits of Friborg peasants”. The project celebrates the 175th anniversary of the Union of Friborg Peasants.
The traveling exhibition pays tribute to land workers through 175 portraits reflecting the diversity and passion of the profession, indicate AGRI Friborg Freiburg and Bicubic. It presents the work of four photographers: Laurent Crottet, Aldo Ellena, Charles Ellena and Alain Wicht.
The latter crisscrossed the farms of the canton of Fribourg, specifies the press release. They sought to establish a link between producers and consumers. The project highlights 17 farms in the Glâne district, offering a “unique insight into the daily lives of these actors in the agricultural world”.
Agricultural canton
The canton of Friborg today has just over 2,600 agricultural holdings, half as many as at the end of the 1980s. The drop in the number of entities recorded accompanies the expansion of agricultural areas, which have reached on average 28.59 hectares per farm.
In 2024, 60% of Fribourg’s territory will be devoted to agriculture, representing nearly 7.5% of the Swiss agricultural area. The canton stands out in particular for its dairy industry and its potato production, which represent 10.7% and 13.67% of national production respectively.
The exhibition invites us to think about the challenges of modern agriculture, summarize the organizers. Behind the traditional image conveyed by the slogan “Passion and tradition”, lies the complexity of a model where farmers are “at the same time producers, independent workers and business managers”.
Field crops
In the Glâne district alone, agriculture is characterized in particular by livestock breeding, grassland production and dairy production. The region also benefits from ideal climatic conditions for large crops. The exhibition is visible before and after each show of the Bicubic cultural season.
In 2023, the Union des Paysans Fribourgeois, now renamed AGRI Friborg Freiburg, celebrated its 175th anniversary. Through the cultural initiative marking the event, the umbrella organization believes it is continuing to “fulfill its mission of representing and defending the agricultural professions”.
