Eggs from the Fouillouses farm in Haute-Rivoire

In the Monts du Lyonnais region, Cyrille Poncet raises his chickens using organic farming methods, far removed from the standards of industrial farming. Coming from a family of farmers, he champions the benefits of this sustainable approach for both nature and the consumer.

Do the "best eggs in the world" come from Haute-Rivoire? That's certainly the opinion of one of the customers of the Association for the Maintenance of Peasant Agriculture (AMAP), through which Cyrille Poncet sells part of his production. A "passionate" farmer , as he likes to describe himself, he is committed to offering healthy and tasty food.

The daily life of red hens in la Fouillouses farm

Cyrille Poncet's chicken coops are located in Haute-Rivoire and Saint-Clément-les-Places , on the border of the Loire department. Here, on the heights of the Monts du Lyonnais , hills and hedgerows intertwine as far as the eye can see.

This morning the air smells sweetly of snow ; the first flakes fell during the night. Between the light mists and the rosy hue of the morning sky, the countryside takes on the appearance of an Impressionist painting.

As you approach the chicken coop at Haute-Rivoire, the silence is striking. Yet, 400 bright-eyed red hens waddle behind the door. Curious and bold, they calmly approach us, while others lay their eggs in the darkness of a cage.

Although they are free to go outside all day in an adjacent field, for the moment they prefer the warmth of their shelter.

Animal husbandry that respects the biological rhythms of the animals

Cyrille's flock consists of 900 chickens. For comparison, he mentions the 30,000 animals grouped together in some industrial farms, or even 100,000 when they remain in cages.

At La Ferme de la Fouillouse, approximately 5,000 eggs are collected each week . It's important to know that light and feed, in particular, stimulate egg laying. While hens in a domestic backyard roost with the sun, the use of artificial lighting in poultry farms lengthens their days, thus increasing production.

Here, lights out is from 20 p.m. to 5 a.m. The food, made up of organic grains and proteins, comes from the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.

An organic conversion designed for a responsible future

The creation of the chicken coops in 2018 is part of an organic farming approach.

It marks the career change of Cyrille and his former partner Claudie, former dairy farmers.

He explains this shift in direction by the milk crisis and a growing awareness " related to the future of his children ." The desire to contribute to healthier agriculture also guided this choice.

Firmly rooted in his professional values, he sells exclusively through short supply chains , which for him are synonymous with "local, friendly and the pleasure of interacting with customers".

His eggs are bought by restaurateurs in the Lyonnais mountains and the famous chef Christian Têtedoie , thanks to the Mes producteurs mes cuisiniers network.

They can be found in independent grocery stores and through AMAPs (community- supported agriculture groups). He also travels to Lyon to offer them in baskets.

Promoting an authentic local culture

Cyrille Poncet embodies a traditional peasantry characteristic of the Lyonnais mountains.

From his parents, he inherited knowledge that he likes to pass on to new generations, whom he perceives as "losing knowledge of the agricultural world".

A native of the Lyonnais mountains , he never tires of admiring the green landscapes, the seas of clouds trapped in the valleys overlooked by luminous skies, or even "the sunsets over the Forez mountains ".

As for indulgence, like the "staple food" that is the egg, he prefers it in simple dishes: "in mayonnaise, in the batter of a yogurt cake or in a mixed salad."

Interested in a hike immersing yourself in the bucolic landscape of the Haute-Rivoire area?

• The Saint-Gorgolu walkA leisurely 5,5 km hike starting from Haute-Rivoire
• Hike of the 4 bell towers, in trek mode. A challenging 25,5 km hike starting from Meys in the Rhône or Viricelles in the Loire

Where can I buy eggs from the Fouillouses farm?

In Lyon:

• By placing an order through the network My producers, my cooks
• At Meloco to Croix-Rousse and to The fair trade grocery store in Lyon 7

In the Lyonnais mountains:

• Through the brand's drive-through service Monts du Lyonnais, land of flavours
• At the Vival in St-Laurent de Chamousset, or at the grocery store Oh beautiful stall of St-Symphorien-sur-Coise