The Tuffery workshop in Florac is recruiting a shepherd to weave its future in local and sustainable fashion

La laine, une matière première locale souhaitée par les ateliers Tuffery. Midi Libre – ALEXIS BETHUNE

Julien et MyriamTuffery, gérants de l'Atelier Tuffery, ont repris la gestion agricole de la ferme familiale installée sur le causse Méjean depuis plusieurs générations. Ils souhaitent mettre en place un système agropastoral transhumant et profiter de la laine de brebis Mérinos. 

"Wanted – To make this project a long-term success, a key human link is being sought: a shepherd who loves animals and driving herds in order to write this project with us."This is the content of the classified ad recently published by the Tuffery workshops in Florac. The Lozerian jeans company wants to add another link to its already well-stocked portmanteau of local raw material production. Ultimately, the shepherd will take care of a flock of 400 merino sheep, installed on the plateau of the Causse Méjean in summer and in the vineyard of the Mas de Janiny in Saint-Bauzille-de- la-Sylve (Hérault) in winter. To produce two tons of raw wool. 

A herd of 400 heads of merinos

"We had the idea in mind for ten years, specifies Julien Tuffery. The family farm was run by a shepherd, with a long lease. He looked after 500 ewes of the Lacaune and Noir du Velay breeds, with the aim of selling the meat. He asserted his retirement rights last year." However, since 2016, Julien and MyriamTuffery have been working to structure& nbsp;the wool sector in Lozère: "We collected 14 tonnes in 2023, to promote it. And on a more distant scale, we are already thinking about the post-cotton era."

The current herd will be replaced by a new breed of sheep, the merino, with 400 heads: "These are small transhumant sheep which provide the most beautiful wool in the world, enthuses Julien Tuffery. They were no longer very popular in recent decades due to the collapse of the wool market. In terms of meat and milk, they were not the best suited." Priority therefore for the Tufferys on the fur of the creatures. 

Around forty applications

"The first line on the job description of the person we will recruit will be the constitution of the herd, warns Julien Tuffery. We want it to be in perfect harmony with our human project, an open-mindedness for the territory, expertise in herd technology, transhumance." A man, a woman, a family "it doesn't matter, we are open to everything" , specifies the entrepreneur. With the obligation to live half of the year on the Causse Méjean in Lozère, the other half on the land of Xavier Julien, a young winegrower from the Mas de Janiny based in Saint-Bauzille -de-la-Sylve in Hérault. "We already have around forty applications submitted since last week. It's completely crazy, the post resonates with a lot of people, smiles Julien Tuffery. Applications will remain open for another ten days before the final choice is made.  

The Tuffery pop-up store in Clermont-Ferrand was a hit

After the undeniable success of the opening of a short-lived boutique on Place de la Comè ;eacute;die à Montpellier for eight months, the Tuffery workshop opened a temporary boutique in Paris. Clermont-Ferrand, avenue de la R&eac;publique, du  February 20 to 24, 2024. For Julien Tuffery, success has not wavered: "It happened' incredibly good. This confirms that we are right to go further. meeting our audience. We doubled the projections made. " Next April, head to the Bouches-du-Rhone department & Arles, still with the pop-up store format, for five days. Other destinations are pending such as Aix-en-Provence, Bordeaux or Paris. 

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