The breeder of the Thousand Ponds
Passionate, committed, simple, Xavier Ménigoz is deeply in love with his country, that of the Thousand Ponds, his “little Finland”, dotted with bodies of water and fir forests in the southern Vosges which calm down on the slopes of the streams which run the valleys towards the Saône. Born in 1974, the sheep and pig breeder is in the spotlight on the eve of the Easter holidays when lamb will be king.
Taking care, going against the grain
The family farm was taken over in 2003 and as a mechanic enthusiast, Xavier patiently adjusted, dismantled and cleaned each part of the farm. Apart from antibiotics for pigs, then the only animals raised on the farm. The great agricultural advisors recommended the intensive? Haut-Saônois is expanding the space available in buildings for its animals. No one understand. “It wasn’t fashion, clearly, logic was the focus.” It changes the diet of pigs. A diet based on cereals, 100% local since its resumption, to which flax seeds have been added for four years "for the omega-3 intake". GMOs? None of that with him. In terms of comfort, he renovated and installed heating in the shelters. “The atmosphere” of his breeding is his daily concern. “Animals that feel good are healthy animals, that’s essential.”
55 hectares for a hundred sheep
When the sheep are not in the buildings in winter, it is in the green pastures of his 55 hectare farm that they roam as soon as the weather permits. “I am one of the few to also farm sheep in the region.” The fragmented plot of its exploitation in the middle mountains, the rugged terrain, makes possible - naturally - this extensive breeding in the preserved setting of the Ballons des Vosges regional natural park . In the surroundings, forests, streams and ponds which make the reputation of the place and its calm. Here, for the sheep, the same concern for an exemplary diet: “they are fed on hay and regrowth”. The regrowth, "it's the second cutting of the hay, the grass that grows back in the meadows after mowing, it's more palatable for the animals and less fibrous".
The reasons for the excellence of his lamb
“I take the time for the lambs to grow,” explains Xavier Ménigoz. When the rule in the profession is to release animals between 17 and 18 kilos, he does not sell anything below 20 to 24 kilos. “The carcasses are heavier and the meat is much better finished, I take my time .” The lambs are of the Suffolk breed, the sheep with black heads and white wool.
Rustic pigs
From the pig side, labeled Haute-Saône on his initiative, it is a cross between a large white female, an English breed, and a landrace, a Scandinavian breed. Both very rustic and accustomed to the great outdoors . For the males, Xavier Ménigoz chooses the Piétrain pig breed, originating from Walloon Brabant, and the Duroc breed pig, originating from the United States and renowned for its quality of fat and meat "which holds up well".
Good strength of the truss
In these difficult times for many producers, the local action initiated nearly 20 years ago by Xavier Ménigoz with his direct sales at different points, including on the farm, his local work with the best local butchers such as the Daval butchery in Val -d'Ajol, ten kilometers away, allowed him to hold on. “The difficulty was the total shutdown of the restoration.” The breeder deplores the stigmatization of this profession and spoke about it to the local MP. “I was the only one to have a word for the others. However, we really need restaurateurs,” explains the breeder from Saint-Bresson. And personally? “I cut off the radio and TV. If I want to be informed, I read. And then I avoid telling people what I hear.” Wisdom and zen for this youngtimer fan. When there is time, there is a little car to put together, piece by piece, like his farm. See you this summer on the roads, in the great outdoors!
5 questions for Xavier Ménigoz:
Where can we find you when you are resting?
Probably tinkering with an old car. Currently I am renovating a Volkswagen Corrado G70. It will be finished this summer!
What is your favorite dish with lamb?
The 12-hour leg of lamb! My secret: the marinade ! I marinate the leg 24 hours before with salt, pepper, nutmeg, thyme, olive oil and local honey which I brush on the piece. Cooking is done by eye at a low temperature, after searing it at a high temperature – say 220°C – for around ten minutes. Then turn it over and water it. Every hour ! And be patient.
What do you drink with this 12-hour leg of lamb?
A red burgundy!
A song you recommend that not many people know?
The front belly of the lamb but worked like pork ribs! It is delicious.
And your favorite piece of this Haute-Saône pork?
A barbecue rib! No sauce! And this time, a good rosé to accompany it.
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