Through the communal cheese dairies, a cooperative approach has enabled the creation of unique system of production, much to the delight of cheese lovers! Comté began to be made in around 1260 and its production has encountered numerous obstacles over the centuries. At critical times, the right questions were asked and the best choices were made.
 A system of organization was created that is the envy of many other producers in the French food industry: a milk price amongst the highest in France and virtually independent of national agreements; cooperative members that have a say in the future; respected, well-established AOC products, lead, of course, by Comté; and businesses that cannot be relocated. Where is this favoured land? The areas in Franche-Comté that have been designated an AOC zone – the Jura and the Doubs – and the neighbouring Ain.
And how did this situation arise? From long ago. From a time that has come to be known as the Middle Ages.
The word “modern” probably did not exist back then, but one of the Lords of the land, Jean de Chalon-Arlay, took what could be called a modern decision: he authorized the peasants to work together and to pool their milk.
This was the start of the fructeries. The period was between 1260 and 1280.
The epic journey of the communal cheese dairy (fruitière) and cooperative production had began. It evolved slowly, to emerge in the second part of the twentieth century, a period during which anything that was not modern was unlikely to survive.
During the 1970s, while the AOC system began to become properly established, the world of the cheese dairies was in crisis. As Gérard Aymonier recalls, “it was a time for milk sellers”. Many fruitières were forced to close their doors. Matters were not helped by the fact that the UCFFC, the large maturing house cooperative structure, was also in crisis.
Society was changing, and people living in the country began to demand their share of modern comforts. Formica arrived in the kitchen, and the solid old wooden table was put in the attic. Eating habits changed. Bread, potatoes, wine, fats: the food inquisition literally began to skim off the cream.
Times were hard in the region during this period of agricultural change. As a further general hindrance, all kinds of standards and regulations appeared. However, resignation was not the only option.
Through the Comté joint trade organization, an idea for a path to recovery gained ground: that of considering themselves not just as simple producers of milk but also, and most important of all, as producers of cheese and to further adapt their organization accordingly.
A few long years later, the description of modern could be reapplied to the fruitières and the cooperative system. Those who held on can be proud. The system has proved its effectiveness and provided lessons in local citizenship. Next to the town hall, the church and the school, the cheese dairy stands proudly in the village.
However, beware of an overly idyllic tableau.
The fruitière is the symbol, but the tool is the entire cooperative system. If the members of the cooperative own the means of production, there is an enormous weight on the administrators and their president – all of which are entirely voluntary positions, a fact that cannot be repeated often enough.
There is less and less room in the president’s office, as it becomes filled with the French code of work, all kinds of audits (health and safety, commercial etc.), constantly evolving regulatory texts, and a phone book almost the size of a directory. It is no longer simply a matter of a good relationship with the cheese maker and maintaining links with the affineur. Members’ incomes have to be ensured, a business and its staff managed, relationships formed with numerous bodies and associations and, most important of all, the general mood carefully monitored.
The story began in the 1260s, which is to say that one has to look at the long term evolution and be fully aware of the advantages created by the fruitières. This is a system that has been able to progress through adversity and adapt without having to go back on changes that have been made. One could say that, as rule, the old wooden table has been brought back down from the attic. And there is a computer on it.
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