La Ferme et la boutique du Viel Audon
The Viel Audon shop and refreshment bar are open year-round. Farm produce (goat cheese, herbs, meat, etc.) and local products, local artistic creations, and a small bookstore are available. Snacks are available from April to September.
From the very first years of reconstruction in Viel Audon, over fifty years ago, agricultural activities were carried out and, alongside youth work camps, contributed to the development of a previously uncultivated, rugged but resource-rich area. Between the riverbank and the cliff, extending onto the "gras" (a garrigue plateau located above the hamlet), goats were the first to clear the land. Later, pigs, cows, bees, chickens, and even silkworms joined them. Market gardening, and then later the cultivation of aromatic plants, took root on the terraces beneath the olive trees.
Today, the Viel Audon farm produces all its products using organic farming methods. We raise about forty goats, six to eight pigs, and a few cows. We produce goat cheese as well as pork, beef, and kid meat. Around fifteen varieties of aromatic, medicinal, and culinary herbs are cultivated on terraces across 2,500 square meters and are supplemented by wild harvesting. These produce herbal teas, syrups, salts, aromatic herbs, and other condiments (pesto, parsley, chili pepper, etc.). Our olive trees, which are being gradually restored, provide us with the oil and olives for our open-faced sandwiches!
Alongside its own products, our shop showcases local products (wine, beer, fruit juice, honey, jams, olives, chestnuts, preserves, etc.).
You can taste all these products on site: the refreshment bar is open every day, all year round, and a light snack is available from April to September (goat's cheese toast, charcuterie board, vegetable plates, biscuits, ice cream and faisselles, etc.).
Come and discover also the small bookstore and its eclectic selection (novels, essays, comics, children's books, practical ecology, know-how, cooperation…), not forgetting the section of local artists (postcards, drawings, engravings, pottery…).
The farm team consists of 5 permanent staff: Hélène, Noah, Coline, Pia and Jean. It also welcomes several seasonal workers and interns throughout the year.
You can meet them in their shops, in their gardens, at the milking station, or just down a side street. Don't hesitate to ask them for a chat; they'll be delighted to share their life and work experiences with you!
Since the first years of reconstruction of Viel Audon, its inhabitants have been committed to a cooperative and environmentally friendly approach.
The hamlet of Viel Audon is accessible only on foot and nestles on the slope between the cliff and the river. This geographical location structures daily life towards economical, autonomous, and responsible practices.
The reduction, sorting and reuse of waste is encouraged to limit flows, they even become resources (glass is crushed to be used in construction, organic waste provides food for pigs or enters the composting cycle, etc.)
In terms of energy, domestic hot water is produced using the sun, and recently installed photovoltaic panels cover 15% of annual electricity consumption. A spring, which flows year-round, provides water for livestock and irrigation of the gardens, as well as heating of the buildings in winter (heat pump system).
Many dry toilets are in operation to limit wastewater effluent, which is treated on site by a plant purification system.
Many materials and supplies are transported directly from the back. Sharing and mutual assistance are the foundations of the daily organization of activities.
Each visitor, whether passing through for the day or staying on site, is introduced to this set of practices through displays or by doing things together. Through concrete participation, we understand the full meaning of ecological practices as well as their evolution, because nothing is ever perfect, we must constantly demonstrate creativity to limit our environmental and social impact.
Furthermore, the land was in the process of being abandoned when the project's initiators embarked on the idea of revitalizing the hamlet. But this land is an unsuspected wealth of riches! The meadows and undergrowth provide a rich, diverse, and abundant diet for our herd of goats. The dry stone terraces built hundreds of years ago and which have been rehabilitated allow us to grow our aromatic and spice plants. A vast olive grove has survived the ages. Fruit trees (fig trees, almond trees, etc.) can thrive there.
In addition, the Viel Audon farm works in Organic Agriculture and its team, whether in the shop, milking or in the garden, will always be there to share and answer questions.
All the daily activities (cooking, maintenance, showering, etc.) as well as the educational garden, nature (fauna and flora), or even the traces left by a historical heritage (constructions, silkworm breeding, charcoal kilns, etc.) are all supports used for educational purposes through animated walks, thematic weekends, discovery classes or permaculture training.
Finally, since the beginning of the adventure 50 years ago, we have spread and enriched ourselves by participating in numerous networks (notably in the social and solidarity economy, environmental education). This on many scales: from neighboring schools to national gatherings.
Location details
Please note: this hamlet is not accessible by car! Access: a 15-minute walk along the Ardèche from the Balazuc bridge or a 10-minute walk from the top of the cliff (parking accessible from the Audon path).
- In the countryside
- River or river within 300 m
- Village at -2 km
- On a farm
- At the water's edge
- River or river view
Producer
Products
Operator status
Opening
Prices
CB accepted all year round
