Twice per year, Aubrac cattle need to be moved between their winter and summer pastures. I was lucky enough to see some of the cows on parade this Friday when I was visiting the region!
La Fête de la Transhumance, the festival of transhumance, is an annual event in the Aubrac region. During the festival, which traditionally takes place on May 25th, farmers adorn their cattle in beautiful, multicolored flowers, bells and flags and walk them from the low winter pastures to the high spring pastures. The new calves, which are too young to walk in the parade, get to ride along the route near their mothers as they walk between the low and high pastures.
The environment in this region is ideal for raising cattle and farmers in the community have been raising cattle for generations. The cattle must change fields to graze in the spring. This tradition is a way to celebrate the work of local farmers to raise cattle. Plus, the cows look like they're having a pretty good time! The cows raised here in Aubrac provide much of the food that the local communities consume, including local milk, yogurt, cheese and beef, and are the primary source of income of many farms in the region.
