Maine Anjou Cattle Farm

This afternoon we visited a cattle farm with AOP status here in the Loire Valley. Appellation d’Origine Protégée(AOP) is a designation of quality by the European Union. It encompasses the product's geographic origin, quality, manner of production, and locality. In France, the majority of farmers raise purebred herds as opposed to America's preference to crossbreeds. The particular breed on the farm we visited today were Rouge des Pres(Maine Anjou). To uphold AOP status, farmers are limited to one animal for every two hectares of grass. This limit keeps his herd small, thus easier to manage. The animals leave a plush and long life here on Monsieur Arthus' farm. According to AOP rules, cows may not be slaughtered until after the birth of at least one calf. This deepens the color of the meat- a trait the French prefer over the paler hue of the beef we're use to in the United States.