During the period of confinement linked to the coronavirus, many local initiatives have sprung up in Ariège. Among them, rural drives where you can find healthy local products, often organic. This period of confinement, so unprecedented for everyone (except perhaps for the oldest, who knew the dark days of the Occupation), has been for many a time of questioning, in many areas... What do we really need? What is essential? Where are our true values? Where are we going? And many other questions we've all been asking ourselves. Let's talk about food consumption: no more Spanish strawberries and other products from the other side of the world. In Ariège and at the Ruffié gîtes, we've turned to more regional consumption. What foods are produced locally? What do we know about our farmers, market gardeners and horticulturists?... Of course, it's a little more expensive than at the supermarket.
BUT
- The products are healthy, fresh and often organic.
- So much so that we rediscovered the pleasure of forgotten flavours...
- There's little or no carbon impact, as they didn't fly or travel hundreds of kilometers in a truck.
- Buying locally sustains our farmers, our region, our landscapes and our eco-systems...
- Meetings with local producers are always genuine and enriching.
So we changed our habits and turned to these local initiatives, which decided to defy the odds and offer us DRIVE RURAUX. You won't find everything there, but a lot! We decided to continue the experiment, which is becoming a habit, and to share it with all those who come to stay with us at the Gîtes de Ruffié in Foix, in the beautiful Ariège region of France. So we got in touch with Christelle, a farmer and breeder located 5 minutes from the Ruffié estate. Christelle took the initiative of contacting the producers around her and offering us a drive delivery service every Saturday during the confinement period.
Such was her success that appointments and orders had to be made in advance... she will of course be continuing what was just an experiment. We found : Fresh vegetables from Didier Delpouy, Christophe Delangre and Séverine's basket Fruits (apples, kiwis, etc.) from Frank Kamarema's organic orchards; Bread and special breads from Anthony Parolin and Jean Marc Valière; Fresh or cured pork from Marius; Veal from Christelle; Farm chickens from Sophie Cabal; Organic honey from the Cadarcet apiaries; Artisanal chocolate; Ariege drinks (sambuc, wines, beer, organic fruit juices); Christelle's jams (you can also pick up seasonal vegetables directly from Christelle's soup). All these producers can also be found at Ariege markets. We'll do our best to include their contact details in our gîtes. (drive rural de Soulé website) Another young woman not far from us, in the commune of Foix, who has left hairdressing for livestock farming, offers an organic pig and cattle farm... We've been buying from her for a long time, and she's the one we're looking for. vineyard farm
Our list is by no means exhaustive, but Ariège produces some excellent organic or... almost organic produce, as well as sustainable agriculture and free-range livestock rearing where there is no animal suffering! It's also home to Kokopelli, the association fighting Monsanto to produce GMO-free seeds and preserve ancient seeds. Many people have not been fooled, and the Ariege is home to a number of "new rural dwellers", who give up their often urban professions to return to the land and practice green farming methods such as permaculture. They're rediscovering values more in tune with who they are. This movement may just be beginning!