La Faverge mountain pasture

In summer months, the chalet and barn of La Faverge are used by the agricultural partnership GAEC Saint Guérin, which rears dairy cows.In days gone by, the long barn could house up to 150 or so cows. They would be brought in at night, in bad weather or during heatwaves. The stream flowed across the building from one side to the other to make it easier to clean. The shepherd (also known as the séracier, gouverneur or pachonnier) was responsible for milking the cows twice a day, once at half-past three in the morning and again at half-past two in the afternoon. The milk was then brought to the chalet, "l'arbé", in milk churns called bouilles, which were carried on the workers' backs. It would then be turned into cheese and Sérac, which is a type of whey cheese.