Parole de Breizh invites you to discover the Pink Granite Coast through encounters with those who live in Brittany, shape it, cultivate it and pass on its heritage. These ambassadors are craftspeople, artists, producers… but above all, local people. They love the Trégor region and will explain to you why it’s so important to cultivate what really matters on the Pink Granite Coast!
Rencontre #26Parole de BreizhAntoine Person
Antoine Person, 21
A story of heritage, choice and purpose
In the Trégor region, some farms represent far more than just a way of life. They tell a family story, a connection to the natural world, and a way of living in harmony with the land. In Pleumeur-Bodou, the Kernéan organic farm is one such place. And at the heart of this agricultural venture is Antoine, the fourth generation to run a family farm that has been rooted here for nearly a century. A return to one’s roots that is not at all nostalgic, but rather a mature, well-considered and deeply committed choice.
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Kernéan, a family farm
Since 1930
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De Kernean Farm, Antoine Person
De Kernean Farm
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The Kernéan farm wasn’t built in a day. It has stood the test of time, passed down through a family line that began in 1930 with Antoine’s great-grandparents. In the 1960s, the farm passed into the hands of his grandparents, before being taken over by his parents in 1981.
In 2020, Antoine, in turn, took over the reins of this farm, which has been passed down through the generations on his mother’s side. It seemed almost inevitable, but it was by no means easy, for before returning to his family’s land, Antoine took the time to explore other options.
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Coming from a farming background, Antoine has followed a solid career path: a BTS and a degree in agriculture, followed by nearly twenty years in the agricultural sector, working in seed sales, pig feed and the development of organic farming.
In 2020, I have a clear plan in mind: to return to Kernéan and begin the process of converting the farm entirely to organic farming.
This experience has given him a broad perspective on the profession, including both its constraints and its excesses. It has also fuelled his personal reflections and a deep conviction: to live his life as a farmer to the full without sacrificing the balance of his personal life. On the farm, the challenge is clear: how to practise this profession differently – in a fairer, more balanced way that shows greater respect for all living things.
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Choosing the great outdoors and freedom
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For a pig, animal welfare means seeing the light, being outdoors, feeling the lovely Breton rain and the April sunshine.
The transition is gradual but determined. The first organic pigs will be ready in 2021. The farm has been awarded the Organic Farming label, with all that this entails: respect for the environment, no pesticides, natural feed, and above all, constant attention to animal welfare. At Kernéan, organic farming isn’t just for show. It’s a way of producing.
Here, the pigs live on straw, see daylight and go outdoors at every stage of their lives. Sows are never confined; the animals remain active and in contact with nature. A simple yet demanding principle that underpins the entire organisation of the farm.
A Different Approach to Production
But actually producingAntoine makes it quite clear: the Kernéan farm is not an educational farm. It is a commercial farm, which must be economically viable.
That is the crux of the matter: striking a balance between agricultural productivity and respect for living things.
At Kernéan, this balance is achieved through a farm on a human scale, an organisation designed for the long term, and a stable team. There are currently six people working on the farm, across livestock, crops and sales.
The strip-cropping system, with cycles every three weeks, helps to ease the mental workload and provides a good work-life balance: one weekend worked in every three. This is a conscious social choice, rooted in the very essence of organic farming and consistent with the farm’s ethos.
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Our pigs grow more slowly, but they produce more tender, juicier meat. The fat is also what gives it its flavour.
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Meat that tells a story of the long term
It is no coincidence that Kernéan pork is highly regarded by local restaurateurs. In organic farming, the feed contains no synthetic amino acids. Instead, the diet consists of field beans, peas and soya – natural proteins produced on the farm from its own crops, forging a link with the soil.
The result: slower growth, meat that is fattier, more tender and more flavourful. Meat that doesn’t shrink during cooking, retains its juices, and reveals its full richness when cooked slowly.
A philosophy centred on the long term, right down to the plate. And that makes all the difference.
Kernean Farm Shop
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From field to plate, via short supply chains
Kernéan Farm operates almost exclusively through short supply chains, within a radius of around ten kilometres of Pleumeur-Bodou. Its partners include committed restaurateurs who are able to make the most of every cut.
Antoine specifically mentions Copains comme Cochons and Le comptoir de P’tit Louis, which celebrate and showcase the animal in its entirety. But he is also keen to emphasise the importance of institutional catering: thanks to local partnerships, the local schoolchildren eat organic pork every week in the canteen, not to mention the elderly residents at the care home, who also have the chance to enjoy the farm’s organic pork.
A minor detail? Not for Antoine. For him, it’s actually one of the project’s greatest successes.
Projects close to our hearts
In April 2023, the farm opened its farm shop. The space was designed as a natural extension of the farming project. An immediate success, the shop proved popular and built up a loyal local customer base, come summer or winter. It became a focal point, a place for people to meet and share experiences.
Building on this success, new projects are taking shape:
- More visits
- The installation of self-service lockers on the farm (like those next to Nokia in Lannion),
- Coming soon, in spring/summer, a small open-air café on the farm.
Appetiser platters, homemade produce, fresh cheese, local beers, a few events, a simple and friendly atmosphere: the idea isn’t to go big, but to get it just right.
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Nurturing relationships and fostering a sense of humanity
Beyond simply farming, Antoine is keen to rebuild the connection between the public and the farming world. Welcoming children, showing them the animals, helping them to understand without any moralising.
Little goats, sheep, pigs… Not to explain livestock farming in detail, but to reconnect with living creatures, physical contact and observation. A way of restoring meaning to a world that is sometimes too distant from those who feed it.
When Antoine talks about the Côte de Granit Rose, he speaks first and foremost of a deep personal attachment. Landrellec, its harbour, its light. Family mountain-bike rides, the Lou-Anne, the volunteers, community life. A vibrant region, which he nurtures day in, day out, just as he tends his fields.
At the Kernéan organic farm, nothing is set in stone, nothing is spectacular. But everything fits together. A farm designed to endure, to pass on traditions, to nourish — and to inspire people to look at what’s on their plate in a different light.
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