RECONVERSION

Meeting Virginia was a turning point in our lives. Until then, we were camping on our ideas, all constructed by the media...  The idea was to meet and put all that aside. We met at the sanctuary where we spent an afternoon talking to the animals there. Afterwards we realised how much we had in common. In the end, we were not so different, quite the contrary... Afterwards, everything went very quickly: we were able to place our last cows at the sanctuary, exchange and reorientate ourselves. 

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The conversion came about almost naturally; we found a common point in all this: animals... so what could be more natural than to make plant-based bakery products? Paying homage to all those animals we killed to eat them.... Food without them... what could be better?  Our bakery was created in 2022. The doors were opened by our famous trio: Virginia, Valerie my wife, and me.

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For us, this conversion was a revelation and I don't regret it for anything. Today Virginia is a sister, a confidant, a person who is part of the family. There is not a day that goes by without this voice confirming our approach. To the breeders who are hesitating to make a change of direction: take the step of transition, you only stand to gain! You can count on people who will support you. Forget your preconceptions and go for it! Life is beautiful and full of surprises. Let yourself be guided, as we are, by infinite trust!

"During my work on our dairy farm, there was always a disagreement with my partner about the care of the cattle. This could lead to the death of the animal. In my distress, I sought help from our official agricultural authorities. The veterinary service informed me that my denunciation of my partner could be a self-punishment, through a deduction of direct payments. The situation was so intolerable that I went through this stage, which led to the holding premises being brought into conformity with financial penalties. During all these unsuccessful steps, because the controls showed healthy animals, I tried my luck with a person who was completely foreign to this field, Tomi Tomek of SOS Chats in Noiraigue, who put me in contact with Virginia Markus who came to the farm several times. She did not back down in the face of my partner's aggressiveness and really took the time to listen to me and to accompany me. This led to two TV shows, paper interviews and many discussions. I finally had someone to talk to who understood me.

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Virginia pointed out to me that even though I worked my animals with a great deal of heart, once their yield was over, they ended up in the slaughterhouse when they still had a long life ahead of them. This shameful killing was indeed unbearable for me throughout my career. With his help, I am seriously thinking about the plant transition. It is such a new, emotional approach, especially linked to very important economic unknowns when the farm is mortgaged. This approach could not succeed because I had to retire and it was with great reluctance that I had to hand over the farm to my son, who continues to farm without taking a step back, i.e. without having made the plant transition. 

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At present I am working on reporting the maltreatment that I come across on my way to the farms. With my professional experience I suffer for all the abuse hidden inside and I can only count on the commitment of people working in the plant transition."

When Anger Meets Virginia...

To be completely honest, I initially went to meet Virginia fully determined to take on “the vegans.”

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After deciding to start a dairy goat farm, I was confronted with the reality that to produce milk, you have to kill. My transition ultimately began with a confrontation with myself, with this emerging sensitivity: I just couldn’t do it. Despite everything, out of respect for my animals—who had followed me this far, whom I had saved from the slaughterhouse—I decided to keep them, for nothing, just out of love.

 

A few years later, bluetongue disease—an extremely contagious illness—struck my sheep, killing them one by one. I was helpless and exhausted. I spent my days tending to them, crying, and raging. Because in the face of all this, I was alone. It was during this time that I heard about Virginia. But the word that rang in my ears was: “vegan.” I went there ready for a fight, because fine words don’t make for fine deeds. It was in a state of confrontation and despair that I went to meet her.

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I laid my reality at Virginia’s feet, and she heard it, she welcomed it, and I saw no judgment in her gaze, no defensiveness in the face of my sharp, resentful words. Sometimes, that’s exactly what we need: a presence, a listening ear, a heart-to-heart connection. I’d almost go so far as to say that I found in her what I love so much about being with my animals: a quiet, attentive presence. Virginia is quite a character, and perhaps by spending so much time around them, she’s picked up their wisdom.

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The meeting came to an end; we exchanged a few words, and Virginia suggested we meet again so I could tell her a bit more about my journey, my aspirations, my dreams, and my career change. I saw a woman who “walks her talk,” who seeks concrete solutions that can be quickly put into practice. I, too, have moved beyond my preconceived notions about anti-speciesists; I saw that their ideas are accompanied by action, help, support, and above all, far more tolerance than the reductive images portrayed in the media.

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Virginia came to see me where my animals are; we discussed my project, how she could help me, and above all, the moral support that is so often lacking on these unconventional paths. The road is still foggy and winding, but I know today that Co&xister is there to help me clear the way.

The first time I saw Virginia was through a screen, via an interview. At the time, I'd been in the world of animal exploitation for 6 years, and I was in the middle of training to become a breeder. But above all, I was beginning to enter a period of doubt and questioning about the industry and the lifestyle I had chosen. Everything Virginia was saying rang so true in my ears, so I decided to take the plunge and meet her for real through a course organised at her sanctuary. After telling her about my journey and what I'd been through, Virginia suggested I share my story on social networks, which once again rang true for me.

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Shortly before we met, I didn't dare reveal or affirm my new vegan way of life. However, from the very first minutes I spent with her, Virginia was extremely open and attentive. It was the first time that I no longer felt alone in my way of thinking, and that I felt understood. The exchanges were, and still are, natural, but above all non-judgemental. What's more, she naturally introduced me to people around her who were just as extraordinary as she was, and put me in touch with them.

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Today I consider Virginia a true friend, to whom I will always be extremely grateful, not only for her trust, her help and her voice, which is always reassuring and full of good intentions, but also for all the love she puts into her sanctuary, for the animals to which she dedicates her life, and for everything she does to make us feel in tune with her life.

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I hope that everyone will encounter Virginia's caring wing and dare to align with themselves, their way of life and their way of thinking, so that they can then embrace a profession that resonates with their deepest values.

I first heard about the Co&xister Association and Virginia Markus in 2022, when I was already looking for a solution to place some cattle in sanctuaries. At the time, it didn't work out because I was in France and the association was in Switzerland. What I didn't know at the time was that we would eventually meet and collaborate on a much larger project: my career change, which would lead the association to create a French branch to support the country's breeders in their career transition.

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So I contacted Virginia again in early 2024 to try to place my last 41 cattle in a sanctuary/shelter. I was no longer equipped to do this livestock farming job due to my values, which had changed significantly and my awareness, which was also creating increasing tensions within my family. Virginia literally crossed France (over 1,000 km) to meet me, discuss, and see what we could do, which already demonstrated her strong commitment in every way. Our meeting? What can I say? Wow! A wonderful woman, attentive, full of love, and who understands me. Her connection, whether with myself or the animals, was simple, shared, and incredibly kind, and a trust that quickly established itself.

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Once all my cattle had left the farm and were rehomed with the help of the French Animal Shelter Network and the Vakita media outlet, the time had come for me to rebuild my life.

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Before considering any career change, my health was the most important priority. Physical disability was increasingly taking its toll on my body due to my obesity. The Co&xister association set up a follow-up by putting me in touch with a nutritionist and a sports coach who accompany me every week. For several months now, I have been benefiting from this support, which is a rebirth for me. I am rediscovering physical mobility but I am also discovering new taste sensations and above all I am developing my mentality, my resilience, I am aligning myself with myself and I am beginning to be able to project myself again. A real joy! Virginia Markus and the entire Co&xister family have become more than friends to me; they are my family of heart and together a magnificent life path is being written!