In the context of global warming and biodiversity loss, food self-sufficiency and the local production of healthy food are becoming the ideal solution for small communities, as a way to counteract the harmful system of mass consumption.
Martinique is making great strides in this direction, and many small producers now sell their products directly to consumers. One such example is the Domaine de Frégate in Le François, which offers top-quality raw milk and dairy products from its pasture-raised herd.
An Interview with Line Lupon, Who Runs the Domaine de Frégate with Her Brother
Martinique 2030: Tell us about the history of this farm.
Line Lupon: This farm was founded in 1957 by my grandfather. We are the third generation to run the farm. We’ve always raised cattle; at first, my grandfather raised Creole cows, then my father introduced European breeds, then my brother took over and added the dairy operation, and I am the fourth family member to run the farm, bringing a new twist to the operation: processing our milk into dairy products. In the first quarter of 2020, we’ll have butter and cream, a small aged cheese, yogurts, and fresh cheese—beaten, smooth, and whipped—as well as ice cream.
M2030: That's great! How much land do you farm, and what kind of livestock do you raise?
LL: The farm covers about 30 hectares in a single block, and we have about 100 head of cattle, including 70 dairy cows—both those currently lactating and producing milk, and the younger ones that aren’t yet. They are European breeds: Montbéliard and Brune des Alpes. The rest are beef cattle, specifically Charolais. We’re affiliated with a fairly active cooperative, CODEM, to which we sell our live animals, and from time to time we hold on-farm meat sales.
M2030: What do you offer through direct sales?
LL: For now, we have raw milk—and I mean unprocessed, with no preservatives—it goes straight from the cow’s udder to the bottle, while adhering to health standards to ensure our milk is of the highest quality.
M 2030: It can't always be easy to farm under the European agricultural policy, can it?
LL: You can love this job, but you have to have the passion that gets you out of bed in the morning, even when things aren’t going well. Everyone loves nature and farming, but for us, it goes beyond that—we’re driven by passion because not everything is rosy in the world of agriculture. It’s that passion that keeps you going, puts your boots and apron on, and pushes you forward. You see what farmers go through on the mainland, but here the challenges are compounded by our island location. But I have faith in my profession; my family has had faith in it for several generations. It’s a heritage we must protect and share with others; we need to show how farmers produce and process their raw materials. It’s largely overlooked because we’re so focused on industrial agriculture, but it’s important to recognize that there are people working to support the local terroir.
M2030: Do you think we should move toward some form of food self-sufficiency?
LL: Of course, in the current context, we need to promote endogenous development; we need to buy local. Many of us are working toward that goal—to feed the people of Martinique. We’re still a long way from our goal, but we’re getting there. It’s not easy for farmers who grow and process their own produce—we don’t have staff for marketing or accounting like big companies do—but we’re learning as we go, because we know that Martinique’s future depends on it. And 2009 showed us that—everything was shut down, everything had come to a halt—people had to relearn how to come to the countryside to get their food. And then, when the supermarkets reopened, everyone grabbed their shopping carts again and forgot what they’d promised themselves. But we’re still here—our job is to inform people, too.
M2030: So, do you offer farm tours?
LL: Yes, we offer educational tours for schools because we believe that a nation is shaped by its children. The children come to learn about farm life—how milk is produced, what a calf, a cow, and a bull are—and we let them taste milk mixed with cassava flour, just like in the old days when people didn’t have bread. We’re here for them!
Nathalie Laulé
The Domaine de Frégate, Route de Dostaly in Le François.
Open daily from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Phone: 0696 24 54 34
Email: contact@domainedefregate-fwi.com
