A Saintonge breeder in the running for the Graines d'agriculteurs competition

Based in Saint-Sorlin-de-Conac, Amélie Teixeira raises cattle. She is the only woman from Charente-Maritime to participate in the national Graines d'agriculteurs competition.

She initially considered becoming a teacher. "But very quickly, my passion for animals caught up with me," says Amélie Teixeira, a breeder in Saint-Sorlin-de-Conac, who runs a 120-hectare farm with her mother. It was after seeing her parents, Urvino and Christelle, on their farm that she decided to pursue animal husbandry. "My parents owned land near Mérignac airport. It was expropriated in 2008," the young woman continues.

Far from the decibels of the airport, the small Teixeira family settled near... the Gironde estuary. There, in these marshes far from everything—the nearest neighbors are more than a kilometer away—Christelle and Amélie raise 80 cows to produce calves raised by their mothers. Silence has replaced the airport bustle. “It's very pleasant to live here in the summer; we meet cycle tourists and hikers. And then, we have 5G! But between October and March, it's different. During storms, we're not very reassured; we're always afraid that a dike will burst,” says this 25-year-old woman.

While the business model is fragile (raising 80 cows and earning two salaries is far from easy), don't count on Amélie Teixeira to succumb to defeatism and melancholy. "We're working with a cooperative in the Dordogne, and it's going well. To expand our business, we'll be starting to raise sheep lambs next year," announces the Saintonge native.

Even though she finds herself isolated in this corner of Haute Saintonge, the breeder enjoys meeting her fellow farmers. "I enjoy visiting farms and seeing how others do things," continues the young woman, who has gone to pick up a Ferrandaise cow in Puy-de-Dôme. "Calves raised by their mothers are, of course, a specialty of the Southwest, but there are also some fine specimens in Auvergne!"

Firmly in her boots, the young woman is also a member of the Young Farmers' Union of Haute Saintonge. Amélie Teixeira has also decided to participate in the Graines d'agriculteurs competition, in the biodiversity category. The Charon Joint Agricultural Exploitation Group (GAEC), which she manages with her mother, is committed to this field.

"We planted hedges and trees. The plants come from the departmental nursery. We use antibiotics as little as possible for our cows," explains Amélie Teixeira, who has a true passion for her cattle. "I have nothing to lose, and it gives me visibility," continues the breeder. She will be up against two other competitors. The prize awarded to the winner, 3,000 euros, could well give a boost to the farm... Whose owner is the Charente-Maritime Departmental Council. Enthusiastic, Amélie Teixeira can't stay still: "I like to participate in festivals related to agriculture; I'll be going to the Earth Festival in Les Gonds this weekend."

To support Amélie Teixeira's candidacy, vote on the website https://graines-agriculteurs.fr/candidat/amelie-teixeira.