Clarisse takes over family farm

Clarisse Lecourt, 26, inherited and renovated the buildings of her late father’s farm near Ussel in the Corrèze department by the end of 2025. She plans to redevelop a dairy workshop on the property, which includes 95 hectares of land she owns and an additional 16 hectares acquired through a settlement process.

Renovation and new herd

The existing farm buildings need renovation, and Clarisse intends to establish a new herd of 50 to 55 Holstein cows. She will use the existing DeLaval milking room, which has ten stalls, and plans to milk the cows there. The last Opti'Traite report, which evaluates dairy farm efficiency, was from 2021.

Arrival of young cattle

A dozen heifers ready for insemination arrived at the farm in mid-December 2025. These heifers are expected to calve in October, with additional dairy cows arriving in mid-August from two farms, one of which was closing down.

Support and infrastructure

Clarisse is supported by her sister Mariette, a nurse, and a neighbor who owns an agricultural works company (ETA) for field work. The fences around the land need to be redone at an estimated cost of 10,000 euros. The straw yard is reserved for heifers and dry cows, while the cows in production will have stalls with mattresses, offering 75 places.

Costs and production plans

Clarisse plans for 238 euros per cow per year for bedding costs (straw and straw meal). The production remains conventional, with deliveries to Coopal, which offers a guaranteed base price of 450 euros per 1,000 liters over four years and an additional 20 euros per 1,000 liters for young farmers. She aims to reach 300,000 or even 320,000 liters of milk production if Coopal accepts.

Settlement and financial strategy

Clarisse benefited from a conventional termination in September 2025, shortly before her settlement on December 1st. She has no rent or dependents, which facilitates her settlement in terms of working hours and investments. She plans to start repaying her loans nine months after signing, voluntarily, to launch the business and maintain cash flow.

Feed and farming operations

For animal feed, Clarisse harvested hay and wrapped grass in 2025 on her parcels. She has 36 hectares of temporary pastures and 48 hectares of grazing land, planning to keep 8 hectares of silage corn. However, as she does not have a silo, this year she will store the corn in bales.

Delegation and future plans

She delegates sowing and harvesting to her neighbor, paying 75 euros per hectare for sowing and 200 euros per hectare for silage harvesting. She is considering the future purchase of a manure spreader, which will soon become essential. Initially, Clarisse had considered processing her milk but, after working as an employee in the Puy-de-Dôme, she admits it represents a lot of work. She leaves open the possibility of doing so in the future.