ABOUT THE FARM

Vincent and Marie-Claire Godefroy and their three children, Louise, Antoine and Adèle, welcome you to the Ecomusée de la Pomme et du Cidre (Apple and Cider Museum). The museum is part of their farm, the Ferme de la Condamine, in Bretteville du Grand Caux, 10 minutes from Fécamp and 20 minutes d'Etretat. The Godefroy family have lived here for four generations.

The part of Seine-Maritime that lies between Rouen, Le Havre and Dieppe is called the Pays de Caux, or "Chalk Country". Clos-masures − farms surrounded by a windbreak consisting of an earth bank with tall trees on top of it − were created as protection against the high winds that often sweep across the plateau.

The Ecomusée de la Pomme et du Cidre is both a working farm that produces cider and a heritage centre for tourists. Our guided tours are a great family activity. Children love the flock of Norman geese and the farmyard, where local breeds of poultry (Duclair ducks and Gournay hens) rub shoulders with peacocks, guinea fowl and turkeys, not to mention Compote ("Stewed Fruit") the goat and Tartopom ("Apple Tart") the Norman donkey.

We have been rearing Norman geese since 2005. The breed had virtually disappeared locally because it was unsuited to intensive farming.
With the help of a local voluntary organization, Les Défis Ruraux, which promotes sustainable farming practices, we are trying to revive production of this local rare breed.

Norman geese were originally most widespread in the Manche area, then spread to the rest of Normandy. They were prized for their delicious, close-textured meat. In the early 20th century, Norman geese were renowned for their flavour amongst the British, and whole flocks were carefully nurtured and sent over from Cherbourg for Christmas.
The ganders are all white and the geese grey and white. They eat a lot of grass and apples, which gives their meat a lean texture and an especially delicious taste.

We sell the geese to order at Christmas and New Year, oven-ready, or make them into rillettes (potted goose meat) to sell in our shop.
The best time for a family visit is between April and June, when the goslings have just hatched.