Flax Culture > Know - How
Normandy
terroir of excellence of textile flax culture
Normandy is the terroir of excellence of textile flax culture. This culture starts from the channel coast to around 200km inside the land. The climate is the first factor impacting flax culture.
The Oceanic climate allows a regular growth of the plant and a perfect development of the fibers. The soils are the second factor to create a favorable environment for flax culture. Most soils in Normandy are rich and deep, often loamy soils.
25000
overall surface in hectare
of COMLIN flax fields
1200
producers passionate
about flax culture
4
micro terroirs in
the Normandy territory
FRANCE - UPPER NORMANDY
COMLIN terroir is divided into 4 micro- terroirs.
1. Sea Coast
– Soils : deep limon
– Farming type : traditional polyculture breeding or polyculture breeding with industrial farming
– Late flax maturity
2. The pays de Caux and Seine valley
– Loamy and clay soils
– Farming type : traditional polyculture breeding or polyculture breeding with culture
– Intermediate maturity
3. Le Lieuvin, Neubourg plateau and Vexin
– Loamy soils
– Farming type : traditionnal breeding or cereal polyculture
– Flax maturity : intermediate
4. South of the Eure area
– Soils : Large variety of soils
– Farming type : Cereals
– Early maturity
The COMLIN terroir covers the Upper Normandy region, which is also the most favorable terroir for flax culture.
The large diversity of the soils , farms and the large surfaces secure the production:
– Large stability in the offer of flax fibers
– Large range of flax fiber qualities
– Reduce the risk of loss of the crop
COMLIN commitment at the culture process step:
Key focuses at the culture (process) step/ stage
.Family heritage and handover
The textile flax culture is deeply linked to the Normandy terroir and to the structure of the farms. The knowledge of flax culture is transmitted from father to son and ensures a continuity in the quality of the flax fibers.
Each generation brings some progress and innovations:
– Improvement on the cultural itinerary thanks to agronomics trials
– Use of textile flax varieties adapted to Normandy micro terroirs
– Farmers Involvement in the analysis of their fiber quality so as to improve cultural practices
.Growers involvement
from the field to the fiber
The farmers are followed by a technician all along the growing cycle . They know that any agronomic mistake can impact the fiber quality and consequently, their remuneration.
The farmers pay attention to all the key steps of the culture:
– The rotation
– The soil preparation
– The choice of the variety
– Pulling
– Retting
– Rolling-up
They are also involved during the scutching: based on their lot classification and on other data collected during scutching, they identify with their technician the improvements on their cultural itinerary for the following year.
.The permanent link between COMLIN and flax growers
The farmers have a permanent link with COMLIN:
– They get feedback on their lots classification, which is a major improvement tool for them
– They get information on the evolutions and expectations of the market
– They participate to COMLIN decisions.