Excursion

Excursion to the Plateau de Valensole, Lac de Sainte-Croix and Gorges du Verdon

Here is the photo gallery with a selection of photos taken by the participants.

Plateau de Valensole

Excursion report–Plateau de Valensole (pdf)

The Plateau de Valensole is the bread basket of the region and delivered for more than 700 years products like nuts, fruits, vegetables, truffles and lavender to the coast. It is located at 500 m above sea level and the soil is an agglomerate of stones and very porous. Climatic conditions are characterised by high temperatures a very view precipitation.

Between 1850 and 1970 there was an exodus of the rural areas. Near the plateau 30 villages became abandoned, similarly the terraces with olive trees. The state accelerated the migration into cities by buying the land from the farmers.

In the late 19th century wild lavender Lavandula angustifolia (French “fina“) was gathered in the mountains and sold to the perfume industry. It grows best under dry conditions at about 1000 m above sea level. Despite it was not the main crop, it revitalised the country by an additional source of income in times of the migration into cities. Between 1920 and 1930 farmers started planting lavender, but it was still not so important.

In the beginning of the 20th century hybrid lavender was grown. This Lavandula hybrida (French and German “Lavandin”) is a hybridisation between L. angustifolia and L. latifolia. It is very resistant to drought but contains less oil than the natural lavender. For about 100 years it is grown at the plateau and mainly sold to the washing powder industry.

The cultivation of lavender is highly mechanised, and the plants do not need much care. The work can be done by the farmers and their families themselves. From the third year after planting, lavender can be harvested until the 10th to 12th year.

“Real” lavender is much more expensive. For purified oil of the hybrid lavender farmers get about 20 € per litre, “fina” is about 70 €, and if it is sold by the producers themselves they earn up to 250 € per litre. Chemicals are applied once a year against insects. Currently there is a big problem with a pest (from bacteria).

At any time of the short history of the agricultural usage of lavender buyers controlled the price and the selling farmers strongly depended on the perfume industry. Due to the quickly changing market prices, farmers have to change immediately their crops. Wheat is grown as a security with a low but fixed price due to subsidies by the EU. Growing lavender is more risky but necessary to earn enough money. Besides the changing prices weather events like droughts and floods also threaten the crop. Thus, farmers have to maximise their income by balancing risk and security. Most of the farmers grow beside the lavender sheep and goat for cheese production, some also grow sage (Salvia spec.) or other perfume plants.

About eight years ago a quality standard for lavender was set up by the EU. Because Ukraine and China (the main competitors in the lavender business) are not able to keep this high-quality standard, it is good for French farmers by stabilising the prices.

Besides lavender farmers grow on areas of 100 to 250 ha almond trees and grape, but less than in former times. Another crop is truffle growing under oak trees, mainly harvested by using pigs. Attempts to grow corn failed because of drought. Also the irrigation of fruit trees turned out to be too expensive, after an irrigation system was built by private and public investors.

During a few weeks in spring and autumn sheep are grazing on the plateau, but mainly in the eastern more mountains. Afterward they move on (transhumans). The number of sheep remained constant since 1850, and the land for grazing is mostly common.

In the early 20th century a huge amount of Black Pines Pinus nigra instead of the indigenous Scotch pine Pinus sylvestris was planted by foresters to avoid soil erosion, but the wood turned out to be worthless for furniture. Nowadays it is recommended to reopen at least the top of the hills but the state has no money to do this. Since a heavy storm in 1999 the local paper factory has had enough wood for ten years but there is no planning for a long-term usage of the wood.

For the local people planting trees is a trauma, mostly due to historically grown aesthetical values.

La Salle du Verdon

Part 1: The village of La Salle du Verdon before the construction of the dam

• Agricultural village at exit of Verdon river
• River has made the canyons and caves
• Caves formed first human settlements in the area before 500.000 years
• Surrounded by mountains consisting of limestone
• Mediterranean climate: mild winters, few snowfall, dry summers
• Vegetation adapted to the terrain and climate and well preserved: lavender, olives and juniper
• Main economic sectors in the area are agriculture, cattle and sheep farming and truffle production/collection
• People lived in harmony with their environment: no pesticides used, no pollution problems
• La Salle stems from “salas” (Latin for old fortified Roman farm)
• River floated through the village, so water was always available

Part 2: 1973-1974 – the construction of the dam, a slow death

• Due to the dam construction, the village would be inundated and 200 people were forced to leave
• Electricity company took out all vegetation in the area to be drowned, to keep the water at a high quality for drinking
• Inhabitants of La Salle du Verdon tried to recycle everything they could for reconstruction (e.g. fountain)
• to build a new house 5 times more money needed than provided by the electricity company
• Village used to consist of narrow streets, clustered around the main square, while the new village looks like the opposite
• Houses were demolished and inhabitants were prevented to come back
• Destroyed village reminded people of World War II

Part 3: 1975-2008 – the years of tourism

• The agricultural valley had become a touristic place, a lake with a beach, sailing and fishing facilities, etc.
• Facts on the dam: 54 m high, 200 m wide, 8 m thick at the bottom of the lake, 3 m thick at the top of the dam
• Facts on the lake: 40 km long, 2.5 km wide
• Only the rebuilding of the school, town hall and church were paid. The inauguration of these buildings was in 1977, so it took 1 year to destroy the village and 6 years to rebuild it
• The number of inhabitants has decreased between 1946 and 1975. After 1975 the population has increased gradually
• Tourism is seasonal, spread over 4 months in Spring-Summer, with a peak in July-August
• Tourists are concentrated next to the new village
• The village counts 200 inhabitants (mainly old and retired) during winter time and 4000 in July-August
• Seasonal tourism demands sufficient infrastructure. During winter time, little water is used compared to the 820 tons used in July. To cope with this variation, a big water basin is build. Purification is done by wind, algae and the sun
• Housing can be split into permanent houses (85), second houses (91) and rented houses (118; owned by local people and tourists)
• Laws for the lake:
o Water law: drinking water, zone forbidden for construction = 55m from lakeside
o Littoral law: zone forbidden for construction = 100 m from lakeside
o Mountain law: houses should be connected to the rest of the village

• Electricity company only manages the lake itself
• Political debate has come up due to different kinds of people in the village. From the nineties, over 20 associations have been founded, which forms social links between the inhabitants
• Now is part of the Parque regional du Verdon

Here is the website of Les Salles-sur-Verdon: http://www.lessallessurverdon.com/

Excursion – The Verdon Regional Nature Park

• Ecological education
• Conservation, breeding and exchange of old agricultural species/varieties (ca. 2500)

• Ca. 80 hectares. 20 ha under cultivation.
• Goats, cheese, bees, vegetables. 5 Farmers (planned)
• Experimental vegetable farming is now in the first year

• Only varieties listed in the EU catalogue are allowed to be commercially used and distributed
• It takes about 15000 € and 5 years to get a variety on the official EU list
• New breeds of big agriculture companies are favoured by this system
• Example corn:
• Only hybrids (with non fertile seeds) are in the catalogue
• Catalogue is closed: no further varieties will be added
• Buying hybrid seeds costs about 20 times more than own seeds
• Example tomatoes: 600 in EU catalogue but only 12 (fertile) non-hybrids

• Relatively poor and compact soil, formerly used for truffle production
• They test the suitability of different crop and vegetable varieties for the production under the local conditions (e.g. short summer season in the mountains)
• Focus plant: corn
  • Production of own fertile seeds
  • Cross-breeding with corn of different geographical origins to produce an own variety with good growth properties under the local conditions
  • It took 5 years to breed a corn with short growing period (45 days). Now this breed will be optimised by further selection
• They tried sorghum varieties from Africa to find cultivars adapted to a warmer climate
  

Here is the website of Kokopelli (in French only): http://www.kokopelli.asso.fr/campagnes/verdon.html

• Founded in 1997 as Regional Natural Park. 45 villages involved
• Development strategies on a regional level with local people involved

• Preserve and enhance the natural and cultural heritage
• Develop economic and social activities
• Heighten public awareness on environmental issues
• Develop the territory
• Develop new and experimental activities

• Water
• Agricultural activities and tourism
• Landscape and natural heritage

• Environmental education
• Experiments (e.g. on the Kokopelli farm)
• Tourist projects: attract more people in spring and autumn, bring visitors to the less known parts of the park (80% of the jobs in the area are related to tourism)
• Water project:
• Development of a management concept for the whole catchment
• Water quality issues
• Increasing sensitivity of stake holders towards water problems
• Mediation between climbers and nature conservation

Here is the website of the Parc naturel régional du Verdon (in French): http://www.parcduverdon.com/