La Dévalade, de la prairie à l'assiette

"La Dévallade" is the 5th and final episode of the "Feuilleton des prairies" series, a traveling program organized by the Clermont Massif Central Urban Planning Agency as part of "Prairies Nomades," marking the International Year of Pastoralism and Transhumance 2026.

A highlight presented by “Derrière Le Hublot” in collaboration with Éric Roux— a food journalist, in partnership with the town of Villefranche-de-Rouergue, with the help of students from the Beauregard, François Marty, Saint-Joseph, and Raymond Savignac high schools in Villefranche-de-Rouergue.

“I Prefer to Eat in the Cafeteria”—Roundtable discussion on a proposal from the Territorial Food Project

5:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m.

Philippe Berthélémy, gastroenterologist at Pau Hospital and specialist in health through food, Aurélia Legrain, head chef at the Sanvensa School; Guillaume Barthélemy, an organic cattle and poultry farmer in Martiel, Marie-Lucile Richard, an organic produce farmer in Najac, and Françoise Goots-Terrusse, administrator at Carco Middle School, will tell us what’s on the children’s plates in the Ouest Aveyron Community of Municipalities and how local produce is now at the heart of our children’s diets.

Moderator: Eric Roux, journalist and food columnist, specialist and advocate for traditional cuisine, will be joined by Sarah Conquet, sustainable food project manager for the “Bien manger en Ouest Aveyron” Territorial Food Project

7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

“Volem viure al pa%ECs. What else?” Roundtable Discussion

Living in a meadow. Experiences and lifestyle choices in the rolling mountains of the Massif Central.

Jacinthe Bessière, anthropologist and sociologist, Toulouse; Flavien Escrich, carpenter and Occitan speaker; Émilie Thomas, forager and edible plant chef; Fred Sancère, director of Derrière Le Hublot, will be asked about their experiences in the Massif Central. Today, pastoral lands have become spaces of modernity and culinary innovation. Living in the Massif Central, therefore, cannot be reduced to simply living in a scenic setting. The speakers’ stories will shed light on what it means to live in the Massif Central. From those who stay to those who return, in what ways does the Massif Central represent a desirable place to live and offer alternative ways of inhabiting this region?

Moderator: Eric Roux, journalist and food columnist, specialist and advocate for traditional cuisine

8:30 p.m. – 9:15 p.m.

Light refreshments on the go, reserved for roundtable participants. Prepared with and by the teachers and students of the Lycées Saint-Joseph and Raymond Savignac in Villefranche-de-Rouergue

9:15 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.

Short Film Night: a selection from “Le Court”—the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival—and the “Biais” collection curated by Amic Bedel and Piget Film