Etienne Dumont Saint-Priest

BREEDER

In 1982, Etienne Dumont Saint Priest set up as a shepherd in Limousin at the foot of the Mille Vaches plateau. As an organic farmer, he was one of the first to combine triticale and protein peas. He raised up to 900 ewes on 180 hectares with his wife Marie France.

Founder of "ovin sélection 87", an association of breeders, he defended the genetic capacity of interbreeding. His work contributed to the maintenance of local breeds by ensuring a real immune defence against "scrapie".

With his colleagues and the support of scientists, he has highlighted the danger of the use of antibiotics and growth promoters on consumer health.

He is a Knight of Agricultural Merit as well as a legal expert at the Court of Appeal of Limoges. He was also named Knight of Arts and Letters in 1994.

After refurbishing a barn into an auditorium in the aftermath of the 1999 storm, he created "la maison du berger" with a library and a vinyl library open all year round with free participation from the association without any subsidies. "Plan de culture" was born. For nearly two years now, this unique place, which consists of three cottages (one of which is adapted for the disabled), has been the artistic residence of the CNSM de Paris. The 200 member families keep this agri-cultural farm alive all year round.