The successful alliance between dairy production and sustainable hedge management
Thomas Aillard and Damien Philippe, from GAEC Aillard Philippe, are dairy farmers committed to preserving the Normandy bocage. Their farm, certified organic, supplies milk to a local cheese factory and sustainably manages its hedgerows (800 metres per year!), earning the Label Haie certification. They implement a dynamic rotational grazing system, with paddocks defined by hedgerows and grazing managed on a daily basis.
They are also engaged in AECS (Agri-Environmental and Climate Measures) to preserve grassland areas and ensure sustainable hedgerow management. The farm’s landscape reflects this commitment: it is an island rich in hedgerows, featuring a wide variety of tree species, including hazel, buckthorn, alder, pedunculate oak, holly, service tree, willow, aspen poplar, and chestnut trees.
The jury commended GAEC Aillard Philippe for its sustainable hedgerow management, backed by practices certified under the Label Haie standard.
More to discover
