Anyone meeting Olivier Briand and Laura Salaün for the first time will no doubt see a spark in their eyes. A subtle, intangible radiance, but which we would nevertheless like to seize as it is so communicative. The gaze of those who have given meaning to their lives.
Drop everything to change your life
At the origin of this accomplishment, however, is a most trivial event: the retirement of Olivier’s parents. Milk producers, they were the owners of a small farm in Briec. A farm on a human scale, ideally located but whose transmission, even at the time, was by no means assured. For Olivier and Laura, it was the trigger: “Imagine that everything could stop and that the buildings could fall into ruins… We thought it was a waste. And then, the idea of changing our lives had been floating around in our heads for a while, Laura recalls. Professionally speaking, we had each gone through our respective professions… We jumped at the chance”.
(The Telegram/Laura Ayad)
In the space of a few weeks, the couple hangs up the blouse: he, that of paramedic, she, that of insurance manager. It is the return to the earth, the real one. The one who draws the line between the wild and the domestic, closer to nature… And out of the question to take the beaten track. “We didn’t see a future in cow’s milk,” explains Olivier very honestly. We didn’t like the animal, there was no feeling… We wanted something innovative, entirely organic. Searching the internet, I finally discovered mare’s milk. This is how the Cornish mares ».
There is no specific training and the rare producers of mare’s milk tend to keep their knowledge to themselves… We can say that we found ourselves left to our own devices.
A niche product
Produced by only a handful of farmers in France, mare’s milk is a rare product, which stands out from other dairy drinks for its nutritional qualities. Close to breast milk, it is particularly renowned for the care of skin diseases such as psoriasis, eczema and acne. A “white gold” with exceptional properties, harvested then transformed thanks to titanic work.
“You have to be even more multitasking than on an ordinary farm,” admits Olivier. Here, ultimately, milking is only the first step of the day. You then have to cool the milk, process it, all in parallel with managing the physical and online store… And that represents a lot of hours! ” Not to mention that at the beginning, the couple was mostly trained alone: ”There is no specific training and the rare mare’s milk producers tend to keep their knowledge to themselves, in particular their little manufacturing secrets. … We can say that we found ourselves on our own”.
“When we get up in the morning, we know why we do it”
Seven years later, if he forgets nothing of the difficulties that have marred his career, the couple has no regrets. Laura testifies: “Today, when we get up in the morning, we know why we do it… It makes sense. This is also why we have set up visits to the mare barn, to share this experience with others. It is certain that today, when we see the path traveled and the work that it required, we say to ourselves that we were motivated but also a little naive…” And at the same time, don’t we need a little naivety, sometimes, to go on an adventure?
Practical
Jumenterie de Cornouaille, locality Pénity, in Briec. Visit: €3, free for children under 12. Group visits possible by reservation, all year round. Contact: tel. 02 29 40 59 88.
2023-09-04 21:51:44
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