GAEC de la Ruelle

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Sustainability
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- Reducing Crop Protection’s Environmental Impact
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- Food System Resilience
- Sustainable Agriculture in practice: Bayer ForwardFarming
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Taking Sustainable Dairy Farming to the Next Level
Located in the heart of Brittany, in France’s northwesternmost region, GAEC de la Ruelle is a dairy farm, managed by five young farmers. Alongside livestock, the group also produces most of the diverse feed ingredients for the 130 dairy cows and 280 young bulls and heifers on their farmland. Environmental care – especially water protection – is essential on GAEC de la Ruelle, as the farming cooperative is located between two large catchment areas which supply 40% of the water for the city of Rennes. Jean-Michel Massue is in charge of the crop production on the farm, and to preserve water bodies and biodiversity surrounding their land, he aims to use crop protection products as safely and efficiently as possible. Jean-Michel is proud that GAEC de la Ruelle is one of the benchmark farms for environmental preservation in France and he combines effective farming methods and new technologies to limit runoff, promote healthy soils, and prevent point-source pollution. By creating a dairy farm that is autonomous in animal feed production, the GAEC de la Ruelle team is setting new standards for sustainable dairy farms in the region.
- Farm name and location: GAEC de la Ruelle – Treffendel, near Rennes (Brittany), France.
- History: Founded in 2003, by two partners, GAEC de la Ruelle now has four partners.
- Farm size: 285 ha.
- Crops: Meadow, silage corn, wheat, legume meslin, oilseed rape, winter barley, triticale, rye, protein crops.
- Notable partners: Local hunters association (wildlife maintenance), beekeeper (installation and monitoring of beehives), CETA35 (training center for agricultural techniques/departmental outreach).
1. Productivity starts with the seed: Certified corn seeds lay the foundation for high productivity and enhance the crop’s healthy start and strong establishment.
1. Productivity starts with the seed: Certified corn seeds lay the foundation for high productivity and enhance the crop’s healthy start and strong establishment.
2. Soil care: A diverse crop rotation is an important pillar to maintain soil fertility and secures a high and sustainable productivity level. To limit runoff, preserve soil structure, and increase organic matter, plowing was abandoned in 2008.
2. Soil care: A diverse crop rotation is an important pillar to maintain soil fertility and secures a high and sustainable productivity level. To limit runoff, preserve soil structure, and increase organic matter, plowing was abandoned in 2008.
3. Precision and digital farming: Precision sowers, GPS, and FieldView guided work tasks (sowing, spraying, fertilization and harvesting) allow to optimize fuel and input use.
3. Precision and digital farming: Precision sowers, GPS, and FieldView guided work tasks (sowing, spraying, fertilization and harvesting) allow to optimize fuel and input use.
4. Smart crop protection: Choice of disease-resistant varieties and use of digital decision support tools like weather stations allow to manage diseases efficiently and at the right time.
4. Smart crop protection: Choice of disease-resistant varieties and use of digital decision support tools like weather stations allow to manage diseases efficiently and at the right time.
5. Integrated weed management: Weed control is a major issue on the farm. Rotation, variety choice, and complementarity of techniques (herbicides and hoeing) are possible solutions for managing weeds sustainably.
5. Integrated weed management: Weed control is a major issue on the farm. Rotation, variety choice, and complementarity of techniques (herbicides and hoeing) are possible solutions for managing weeds sustainably.
6. Optimizing sustainable farm performance: A strategic decision support tools allows to balance economic, animal feed autonomy, and environment performance.
6. Optimizing sustainable farm performance: A strategic decision support tools allows to balance economic, animal feed autonomy, and environment performance.
8. Bee care: In addition to offering insect hotels that help restore natural pollinator abundances, the farm maintains multiple beehives with remote monitoring to promote overall pollination.
8. Bee care: In addition to offering insect hotels that help restore natural pollinator abundances, the farm maintains multiple beehives with remote monitoring to promote overall pollination.
10. Water protection: A filling and rinsing station and a Phytobac® bioremediation system ensure optimal on-farm wastewater management. Regular analyses of field drainage water help protect water sources.
10. Water protection: A filling and rinsing station and a Phytobac® bioremediation system ensure optimal on-farm wastewater management. Regular analyses of field drainage water help protect water sources.
11. Safe use & storage: Personal protective equipment, safe storage of crop protection products, and the closed transfer system easyFlow protect the user and the environment.
11. Safe use & storage: Personal protective equipment, safe storage of crop protection products, and the closed transfer system easyFlow protect the user and the environment.

Reducing Carbon Emissions With Cutting-edge Technology
As part of the Carbon Farming program, GAEC de la Ruelle uses digital farming tools and smart farming practices to sustainably optimize overall performance on the farm. Jean-Michel Massue decided to grow a legume-mix that allows for an independent supply of protein feed for livestock. As an important aspect for maintaining soil fertility and reducing carbon emissions, he implemented an overall diverse crop rotation. The farm team also use a decision-making support tool to achieve the desired balance of quality for animal feed alongside economic and environmental performance. As healthy soil means better carbon management, Jean-Michel abandoned practices that deplete soil, such as plowing. Instead, the farmer implemented no-till and direct sowing to limit runoff, preserve soil structure, and increase organic matter. Precision sowers, GPS, and the FieldViewTM guide on-farm tasks allowing the young farmers to use fuel and farming inputs more efficiently.
Contact us
We're happy to connect with you! Contact Guillaume Chancrin with any questions or inquiries.