Post 3. Goat Pen / Partchère

The goat pen, called partchère in patois, was used to house goats, and sometimes sheep. This community barn belonged to the villagers.

Until 1950, when the cows were at pasture in summer, every family kept a cow and goats in the village for milk in order to feed the often large families.

The partchère is part of the Chemin des nourritures ( road of food )of Ayer and Mission, which was conceived in 2000- 2001, at the initiative of the Ayer Development Association. The project and the texts for the panels have been executed by Bernard Crettaz, a sociologist and former director of the Museum of ethnography of Geneva. Their designs were made by Pierre-Alain Bertola ( 1956-2012 ), as well as the large panels, located at the back of the goat barn, scenes evoking the work of the shepherds and the importance of the herd and milk in the economy of the past.

> Next post
The next location is at the same level as the partchère, left of the road.