8. MILKHOUSE

For a long time, milk production with cows, meadows, hand-milking under apple trees have been part of our history and the identity of our village. Some producers sell live milk for residents, and others sell cream and butter at nearby markets: Caumont-l'Eventé on Thursday morning or Villers Bocage on Wednesday morning. Those markets still exist.

But the idea of organizing the milk collection is making its way.

Initiated by Bernard Desclomesnil, they are the true masters of works of the Calvados milk producers' union (CSPLC). It was a service to be rendered to the 140 farmers of Cahagnes, with a majority of small producers. The opening of the collection centre took place in May 1964. This building imposed some for the one who arrived in Cahagnes. It was inaugurated on April 16, 1965.

43 people were able to find a permanent job with 16 pick-up trucks per safe can, which represents 130,000 litres of milk collected per day. The milk is pasteurized then skimmed, then transported and processed in the factories of Condé-sur-Noireau and Vire. For a time, the dairy maintained the population of the village and supported its businesses.

As techniques evolved, hand milking disappeared in favour of the milking machine. Refrigerated tanks were installed on all farms, and the milk was collected in large tanker trucks and transported directly to Condé-sur-Noireau. The dairy closed its doors in 1979. The staff was transferred to the plants of the same group.

For some time, the dairy was abandoned or even deteriorated ....

The dairy was bought by Tante Hélène in 1983 and turned into an organic artisanal cheese factory. It’s no easy task, because everything inside the premises has to be redone. She will join the Triballa group in 1985.

Triballa is a large dairy group, run by the Clanchin family. It is an organic production of fresh products under the brand "true", AOP cheeses of the brand "traditional cheese makers" in the Pays d'Auge, and the products made of soy "Sojasun".

Triballat has 19 sites on a human scale, with 1,300 employees, including the Cahagnes dairy, which will remain a milk collection centre, with 40,000 litres of organic milk collected per day, and fresh cream and skimmed and pasteurized milk. The collection is done mainly in the English Channel, from Cherbourg to Saint-James and a producer in Cahagnes. 10 jobs including 4 drivers and 6 in production. Triballat Dairy is one of the main businesses in Cahagnes.

Between 1979 and 2020, the number of farms increased from 140 farms to 16, including 8 in dairy production.