In the framework of the “Cross-border Landscape Management” project, the 2nd international edition of the “Prairies Fleuries” contest will take place from June 10th to 12th in the Mercantour National Park (Vรฉsubie and Tinรฉe Valleys) and in the Parco Naturale Alpi Marittime, its Italian counterpart.
The public welcome, the presentation of the contest, and the jury will be held on June 10th at 10:00 AM at the town hall of La Bollรจne-Vรฉsubie. It will then be possible to attend the examination of a competing meadow.
The principle: a jury of experts is responsible for evaluating and rewarding the meadows presenting the best balance between agricultural value and ecological value. And, for the second consecutive year, the jury of experts will be accompanied by a “junior jury” composed of students from the Lycรฉe de la Montagne de Valdeblore.
Funded by the Alcotra 2007-2013 program, this national agricultural excellence “agri-ecological” contest is organized by the regional natural and national parks of France, in partnership with the chambers of agriculture and beekeepers.
The Flowery Meadows are natural areas dedicated to hay production. The richness of their flora and the surrounding fauna depends on the local environmental characteristics and the agricultural management methods of the farmers. This contest rewards farmers who take on the technical challenge of maintaining and enhancing the biodiversity of their meadows.
Each candidate meadow will be judged by a French-Italian jury. This group of experts will designate the winners based on criteria of agronomy, forage quality, botany, phytosociology, beekeeping, entomology, and wildlife.
Students from the Valdeblore high school will also participate in the evaluation of the plots by rating their landscape qualities. The jury will reward the agri-ecological balance but also the melliferous (plants most favorable to honey production by bees), landscape, and heritage value of these areas threatened at the European level.
On the occasion of this event, visitors will be able to discover the richness of the meadows and the work of the farmers who successfully combine biodiversity and agricultural production.
