The history of this project is that of M. Ramery (1), a local construction industry mogul, who decided to bring together several large-scale dairy farms in a single 1000-cow + 750 calf unit, linked to the largest anaerobic digestion unit (methanation unit) in the whole of Europe. Milk from the farm is planned to be sold to Senoble, one of France’s biggest industrial dairy processing companies. Planning permission to build the farming unit was granted after an environmental impact study report concluded that in spite of much local opposition the project should be given the go-ahead. The strong opposition to the project by Novissen, the local residents and farmers opposition group and the Confédération Paysanne (the French branch of the Via Campesina) has always been based on four different factors.

The environmental aspects: 1000 cows would be far more environmentally sustainable affair if they were run as 20 different 50-cow pasture-fed herds, providing 20 small-scale producers and their farm workers with an on-going livelihood. The scale of methanation of this project would require 2700 hectares to spread the 40 000 tonnes of sludge produced every year. And sludge smells bad…imagine how many villages in the region would suffer from air pollution as a result?

Secondly, political. There has been no respect of democracy or of the general interest of local populations. And the local population has expressed massive disapproval of the project.

Thirdly, the issue of animal welfare is central here. This many cows in a cramped industrial production unit are not compatible with animal welfare, and also cause an increased risk of disease and epidemics.

And finally economic: this farm benefits from subsidies that would be better spent supporting small-scale producers.

Planning permission was granted in early 2103, first for 500 cows, then a month later for a further 500. It was maintained in spite of two subsequent attempts to overthrow it. This permission failed to respect the environmental regulatory requirements in terms of the requisite area for spreading sludge. But the size itself was made legally possible by the fact that milk quotas would no longer exist in 2015. (1).

The Confédération Paysanne carried out two separate occupations of the farm: the first in September 2013, the second in May 2014. During the first, machinery was immobilised. The second was far more active, as several machines were actually dismantled, and parts removed. The “willful destruction” of these machines is estimated by the owners at around 100,000€. Five members of the Confédération Paysanne  were arrested, and nine people were due to stand trial. (1) 

By 2021 it was announced that “The Farm of a Thousand Cows” is over. The cattle farm, located in Buigny-Saint-Maclou in the Somme, will close its doors on January 1, 2021, after years of heated controversy between environmental activists and farmers.

-Up on 500, only 2 died since the beginning of the project.

-800,000€ for the sale of the electricity created to EDF, in a foressen methanisation of unit of 1.4 MW.

-The exploitation of the firm already cost more than 7,000,000€ for the investments.

-20,000m² of farm.

The affected population would be people eating products made from milk + around 1,000 people living in the area of the farm.