About Us
Our Story
As passionate animal lovers, we had always dreamed of owning a large estate where we could have many animals, and we had planned to do this after our retirement.
However, following a series of stressful and difficult life events, we decided in Spring 2018 that we needed to change our lives and to get to work on our dream.
We started viewing suitable properties in France, found our ideal estate in the autumn of that year, visited it twice and bought it. We then both quit our jobs in Switzerland (Mario in engineering, Rose in banking), sold our house there and were installed in Mauroux, France, by the end of June 2019.
As we are many years off retirement age, before leaving Switzerland, we had considered what we would do when we arrived in France.
During our research we came across Angora goats and managed to locate a small herd of them near to our house in Canton Vaud, Switzerland. We contacted their owner who kindly allowed us to go and visit them – the goats were absolutely adorable and it was love at first sight.
Et voilà, here we are a few years later – gratefully – living our dream!
Our Extended Family
There are currently sixty-nine of us on the farm. Eventually I will get round to uploading a photo of each animal with their name and job title. But for now we have :
- 51 Angora goats (whose professions range from Senior to Apprentice Mohair Producers),
- Seven non-Angora goats (Brush and Hedge Control Professionals),
- Three dogs (Visitor Greeting),
- Two donkeys (Specialists in Complaining Loudly),
- Four ducks (Slug and Snail Control),
- One pig (Food Waste Management),
- One tortoise (Summer Intern),
- Rose and Mario (Cleaning, Feeding, Naming, Chauffeuring, Tractor Driving, Fencing, Health Care, Fleece Sorting, Paying Taxes, Giving Treats, Distributing Cuddles and Kisses on Demand, House Renovating, Bill Paying, Dealing with Animal Complaints, Supervising Donkey Weight Loss Plan, Matchmaking).
Plans For The Future
Raised Beds
One day soon we hope to make a start on installing the raised beds for growing herbs and veg. Raised beds warm up more quickly in the spring and drain better, allowing for a longer growing season and better growing conditions.
Hot off the Press
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay up-to-date on Magnifique Mohair news and learn about new products and events. It’s a great way to save money because our subscribers also receive exclusive offers and discounts on our mohair products.
Organic Farming
Organic farming plays a decisive role in ensuring we retain our Eco Certified status. Going forward, we will continue to develop and improve our farming system to ensure it is as environmentally and economically sustainable as possible.
