AGRICULTURAL HIGH SCHOOL IN MOUNTAIN PASTURE
Every year in June, the students of the agricultural high school of Contamine-sur-Arve (Haute-Savoie) lead the 36 dairy cows of their herd at an altitude of 1600 m, to the new "mountain pasture-school" of the high school, inaugurated in September 2021. The herd will remain there until September normally, in 2022 they went down in mid-august due to lack of water. During this period, students will go up to the mountain pasture in small groups, for several days, including during the summer vacations. Because up there, nothing ever stops - and that's part of the training : you have to milk the cows at 5:30 a.m. and at 5:00 p.m., make the cheese, manage the water resources, maintain the pastures, run the sales outlet for the public, share the space with tourists, etc. High school students are destined for the professions of shepherd or cheesemaker.
Knowing that 40% of the agricultural population will have to be replaced in France within the next 10 years, the sector is promising, and the high school is trying to encourage vocations. The teaching is focused in the Alpine territory and it is very concrete in the face of tomorrow's environmental and production challenges.
Knowing that 40% of the agricultural population will have to be replaced in France within the next 10 years, the sector is promising, and the high school is trying to encourage vocations. The teaching is focused in the Alpine territory and it is very concrete in the face of tomorrow's environmental and production challenges.