At the age of 51, Bruno David shines: in words, he recounts the unexpected encounters that took him from agriculture to mechanics. At the age of 16, Bruno, an only son, joined his father on the family farm. Originally docile, he gave up hope of studying BEP electronics and becoming a domestic helper, before settling down with his father. Then followed a marriage, at the age of 22, and two children. The farm in Loire-Atlantique on which the two men lived was still modest: 60 hectares of mixed crop-livestock with a quota of 60,000 liters of milk. Economic results, right at the beginning, have collapsed since the 2000s. The farm struggled and Bruno felt tired, the taste of the cows faded … With little support from his elderly father, he agonized. in the heart of the long days.
The farm exists
His divorce in 2016 was an electric shock. Three months after the breakup, Bruno, “never sick”, went on to suffer from phlebitis twice and got out of the worst. His doctor advised him not to breed: a bad beating quickly ensued. But does he really have a choice? Bruno felt stuck.
Notify his father
It was in this somber atmosphere that he received a call from the MSA social worker, determined to meet him. Persuasively, she signed him up for a “Future in Yourself” course at MSA: seven days spread over six months to test and regain confidence. Bruno grabbed the pole, despite a complicated milking organization. He won’t regret it: “I realized that I was ‘stopped’ in my life. A different future now seems possible for him. He continued with “Continue or Switch” training (see box) and appeared marked by the testimony of a breeder who said she was “resurrected” by giving up milk. It has been decided: he will stop raising cows and farms for two and a half years, in December 2020.
The hardest part was still: telling my father. For the devoted and loyal son, it is a “mountain”. Gathering up his courage with both hands, on the eve of his 47th birthday, he informed her. “There was a gap, then he said with a slight smile: ‘You’re right, but protect the land well.’ Bruno’s relief is immense All that remains is for him to prepare to leave, terminate his lease and sell his animals. horse breeder on his land and would keep buildings and equipment.
BTS alternate
During a skills assessment, he, who only has a certificate, reconnects with his childhood dream: to be a maintenance technician. Greta (training for adults) accepts him and the Area sponsors him for a baccalaureate in professional maintenance for industrial equipment (MEI) at the beginning of the 2020 school year. At the age of 50, Bruno received his baccalaureate degree with a “very good” mention. His teachers encouraged him to continue maintaining BTS’ production systems (MSPs) in a work-study program at Saint Félix-La Salle (the very place he wanted to study 35 years earlier).
Not really believing it, Bruno submitted eight applications… He received eight offers. Experienced farmers in the field of electrical and mechanical repair have complained to the companies. He signed a professionalization contract with Sofop Talia, a leading French company in the field of professional tools, in Montoir-de-Bretagne. Its chef Sébastien Hurtrel, who has always relied on learning for the profession during recruitment stress, hopes to keep it going: “Bruno is mature, dynamic and hard-working, and he’s experienced. »Bruno is full of praise for the company and his work“has nothing to do with the assembly line”. “My father might have hoped for me to return to the ranch, but I am too happy to be here. “During his high school weeks with 19-year-olds, he was ‘dad’, class president and mascot. He will graduate in June 2023.
It’s time to differentiate
Each year, the agricultural departments Loire-Atlantique and Vendée offer three to four “Continue or Retraining” sessions in partnership with the MSA. In 3.5 days, in a neutral place, the farmers have time to talk to each other, make purchases, consider the future, and figure out possible support. In thirty years, 87 sessions have welcomed 1,250 farmers in Loire-Atlantique. Over the past five years, 80% of the participants had quit within two years.