The Fete Paysanne des Corbieres 2023

Sunday 23rd May saw the first Fete paysanne des Corbieres at the Chateau de Bonnefous in Villeseque des Corbieres. Organised by the association, Vallee du Paradis based out of St Jean de Barou, who organise the ambulant markets in Villeneuve des Corbieres, Durban Corbieres, St Jean and Villeseque des Corbieres, as well as a communal vegetable garden and other projects, the fete is the biggest project so far undertaken by the young association.

The fete itself has not come from nowhere, for 23 years there has been a fete Bio Corbieres organised around the same date and on the same site. The association that organised it took an enforced break during the period of COVID confinement, then for a variety of reasons, health, age and energy, decided they were unable to continue post COVID. That is where I put by big foot in it. I have been a member of Vallee du Paradis for the last year or so, primarily because I regularly do their markets on a Sunday. I like the folks involved, a bunch of degrowthers, anarchists and general ner-do-wells determined to beath a bit of life into their local villages that have been increasingly taken over by second homes and commuter homes for Narbonne and Perpignan. The Sunday markets are a rather joyous combination of commerce and social bringing together young local producers with their friends and supportive neighbours. Supported by a mixture of local producers, young farmers and artisans.

Despite an initial nervousness, the size of the event was bigger than most had done before, the idea was a market, conferences, theatre, music, an association bar and resto, a small team from the association committee was put together supported by a group of volunteers for each part of the project. Jean Jacques, a local shepherd took of the catering, Toutou, a local vigneron, the bar appropriately enough, I took on the stands and Sophie the animations, conferences and overall coordination. The work that particularly Sophie and Titou put in was superb, a full day’s music was arranged complete with DJ, a children’s area complete with a range of activities, two conferences, on olives growing in the area and opposition to the large scale renewable energy projects in the area, ho humph, a theatre event of the Vigneron revolt of 1906, a chicken picking raffle, don’t ask it involves a chicken on a board and the winning number is the one the chicken poos on.

There was a bit of confusion over the venue, Chateau Bonnefous is being handed over by the InterCom, the community of communities, to the Commune of Vlleseques des Corbieres, who had promised had they would not charge for the venue. However being handed over does not mean it had been exchanged and Sophie found herself negotiating with the InterCom who still maintain control. Do a cautionary cheque of a mere 1,500 euro had to be handed over as well as 580 euros of hire fees and a ridiculous series of regulations to be followed; and surreal conversations such as, “You have to not damage the irrigations system”, “OK where is the map showing where the irrigations system is?”, “Er we don’t have one” and the classic, “We will be monitoring your use of the space”, closely followed by “I am not going to pay for weekend rates for the guardian to work Sundays for the likes of you”. So we were to be monitored without there being a monitor, satellite surveillance maybe? Well I suppose even loathsome functionaries have to earn their money somehow.

Anyway that unpleasantness aside all proceeded as planned, the event looked great, the weather not so great, from storms and high winds, to cold and grey. Every day the meteo was studied with a foreboding sense of doom. Corbieres folk have a dread of rain, as if there is acid in it. On days forecast to rain Netflick ratings hit the charts. Only Belgians and Yorkshire men go ouy in the midday rain.

And so it proved on the day, we only lost a handful of producers, a few more associations, so despite last minute drop outs we had over 65 stands. What the weather did effect was the number of clients who visited and the length of time they stayed. However that all sounds a bit negative, the weather aside the bar and the association resto did really well, as did stands selling wine and food. The car park was heaving most of the day. We need to sort out more parking next time.

From the side of the organisers everything went as smoothly as these things can, nobody had a hissy fit with anyone else, everything functioned as planned from the dry toilets, thank you Mathieu and the Maison Paysanne, nothing got broken, everyone got served, the conferences ran well, the music, plays and kids space were very popular.

Yes there were things that could be done better, from the layout, to the publicity, but the basics were in place and worked well. For such a small team I think we can be very proud of ourselves.