Setting up an agricultural type business

[Ventrata]

Firstly, hello everyone, this is my first posting.

A question about the feasibility of setting up a snail farm in France.

Have searched this forum and done various web searches with no info found

I’m not talking about the technical side of snail farming, I have that all under control, I’m thinking about:

1. Restrictions (if any) on using my land as a snail farm

2. Do I need a licence to do it or permission.

3. Any restrictions on selling the produce

4. Any grants available

Etc. etc.

If anyone has any info I would be very grateful. If not, does anyone know where I would likely find the information, there must be a “department for snail farming” somewhere in France, LOL.[:D]

Currently in the UK. Have house in Charente but will possibly be moving to Normandy.

Many thanks.

[Will]

I can't really help, but I do recall seeing signs to a snail farm in Normandy, in fact just off the A84 motorway near the Vire exit, which I pass regularly on the way to the Caen or Le Havre ferry.

Thinking they might be able to help I did a search on the internet and came up with this site http://escargot.free.fr/fra/france.htm which seems to tell you a lot about snail farming, including FAQs and a forum. There are even some English pages.

Incidentally, the farm I was thinking of is Les Escargots de l'Odon, 14260 St-Georges-d'Aunay.

[Pierre ZFP]

I'd heard that a lot (and I mean a lot) of snails consumed in France were now raised in the UK so maybe you will do well with a 'home grown' variety.  I've seen them for sale in markets in the Lot region but it didn't seem a big business.  The snails were kept (alive) in a large glass tank with foam stuck arround the rim to stop them making a bid for freedom.  If you feed them garlic and milk will they make their own garlic butter? Yum!

He says he drives like a snail but you should see 'escargot

I'll get me coat

Good luck with your venture

 

[Ventrata]

Many thanks Will &Pierre ZFP for your replies,

I have since managed to find some French Snail Rearing Forums. A couple were terrible to navigate but through one of those I found a really good forum with identical layout to another non-France related forum I use. I even managed to change the settings so everything is in English - except the posts of course. Have been reading and translating some of the posts with some difficulty & will try to ask some questions there in due course.

Cheers,

P.S. Terrible jokes Pierre[:D]

[Chancer]

Ventrata

What is that phallic looking object that you are holding?

[Ventrata]

LOL[:D] That's a Nepenthes x ventrata, hence my username.

A tropical pitcher plant sometimes known as a 'Monkey Cup'. It is a carnivorous plant and loves to catch it's own flies & wasps.

Carnivorous Plants are my hobby.[:)]

 

p.s. Actually looking at the avatar, it's not as clear as it would be with a full sized photo, maybe I should have used a Venus Flytrap instead[:$]

[ian]

Ventrata

I have been researching the same sort of possibilities and have a number of websites that I would happily send you but none of them seem to offer the information you seek. I will email you with the websites when I get access to my other computer as they are retained in the favourites. 

However, I would appreciate it if you would let me know if you have had any responses to your questions as they are the same issues over which I have concerns?

Best wishes

Ian

[Kozmod]

Hi

Sorry for Hijacking your thread here, but we are also  looking to set up and register as a small holding, I read somewhere that if you register as a farmer then you can also work doing something else up to three days per week, say as a labourer, or builder for example? can anyone verify this?

[ian]

Re the snail farming info, if you are still keen on swapping some details then contact me on ianwyhte_sland@hotmail.com  as I have been unable to send email using this site's protocols. I'll send a bundle of URLs that should be of interest.

Regards

Ian