First of all, life at the Bergerie is a family life.
Gérard and Augustine, married, form this family with their six children.
The two youngest, sons Chris and René, attend an agricultural school and have expressed their desire to continue this business.
For Gérard the Bergerie du Loup provides the possibility to resume the ancestral mountain cultures, adding in his own experiences. Conforming to the requirements of today, they can testify of a life in harmony with themselves, with others and with the mountains.
For Augustine, her aim is to make her house, the Bergerie du Loup a lively, warm and welcoming home for her guests. She finds her satisfaction in pampering you with her dishes and providing all those little services that make your stay even more pleasant.
Chris participates in the labour in the garden. His dream is to extend the farm so that raising cattle can be combined with the growing of vegetables.
René is dedicated to his cooking recipes, in particular the desserts. His main interest is the restaurant.
Life at the Bergerie follows the rhythm of the mountains and the seasons.
Spring
Work starts at the anniversaries of Augustine, march 16 and René, march 23 with the first plantings in the greenhouse of salad, radishes, carrots, broccoli, French beans, tomatoes, peppers, melons and cucumber.
By the end of May the garden is planted with potatoes, cabbages, leek, carrots, turnips, and onions. All hands are required to plant the potatoes as they form the main dish at the Bergerie. Chris, devoted to gardening, does the major part of the work in the garden such as watering, hoeing and pruning.
Summer
This is the time for harvesting in the greenhouse and looking after the plants. E.g. the tomatoes, melons, aubergines and peppers are tied to stands so that they do not touch the soil and reach an optimal quality. Most of the work is done in the early hours prior to serving and welcoming our guests.
Autumn
This is the season of harvesting in the garden, storing vegetables in the cellar according the ancient traditions of the Alps. All this must be completed prior to the birthdays of Gérard, October 13, and Chris, November 16, when the cold and snow of the winter begins.
Winter
The soil is allowed to rest. The vegetables in the traditional cellar remain at an average temperature of 40ºF, so that they keep well until the next harvest. In this way the vegetables can be used during the year.
Living at the Bergerie also means to maintain and restore this respectable 17th century building. This we undertake ourselves, step by step.
Last but not least it is to explore the mountains, afoot, on skies or snowshoes, to re-discover the forgotten footpaths of the past and to live to experience all the good things of life here.