Fête du Foin

The Fête du Foin: When Lans-en-Vercors Rediscovers the Gestures of the Past

Each summer, the village of Lans-en-Vercors, nestled on the Vercors plateau at an altitude of 1000 meters, hosts the Fête du Foin, a unique event that revives the agricultural techniques of the 1950s. Organized by the association Les Amis de l'Agriculture d'Antan, this popular festival transports visitors into the daily lives of the Vercors farmers of the past.

Haymaking Demonstrations

Throughout the day, members of the association perform demonstrations of the different stages of haymaking as they were practiced seventy years ago:

• Mowing: demonstrations with manual scythes, motor mowers, and vintage tractors
• Tedding: turning the hay to facilitate drying, by hand and with horse-drawn rakes
• Windrowing: gathering the hay into windrows before harvesting
• Gathering: loading hay with pitchforks onto horse-drawn carts, or baling with old balers

The Association Les Amis de l'Agriculture d'Antan

Founded in 2011 by retired agriculture enthusiasts, the association Les Amis de l'Agriculture d'Antan aims to promote the work and customs of the 1950s on the Vercors plateau. Its volunteer members maintain and operate vintage agricultural machinery, perpetuating a disappearing know-how.

Artisanal Market and Camaraderie

Alongside the demonstrations, a flea market and collectors' market is set up on the Town Hall Square in Lans-en-Vercors. Visitors can find antique objects, vintage agricultural tools, and curiosities. The day is punctuated by moments of conviviality with on-site catering offering local specialties.

A Living Heritage of the Vercors

The Fête du Foin is part of the preservation of the agricultural and cultural heritage of the Vercors massif. The association also organizes the Fête de la Moisson (Harvest Festival) later in the summer, completing the cycle of traditional agricultural work. These events help keep the memory of the mountain rural world alive and pass on the gestures and know-how of the elders to new generations.