The novëm team will introduce you to the Michallet farm, its history, and their harvesting process. We will also introduce our partnership.
The history of the Michallet farm
In 1882, Frédéric and Auguste Michallet became the owners of Givors on the Chaponnière estate. In 1962, Léon and Aimée Michallet bought the farm and turned it into their headquarters.
During the 80s, the farm's operating area doubled, as did the area of the walnut plantation. During the same period, the Charolais cattle operation ended following the mad cow crisis, and the building intended for livestock farming was transformed into an operational walnut facility.
The farm joined the GAEC (Joint Agricultural Operation Group) thanks to Christophe and Joseph. In 2004, cultivation methods had to be completely transparent and traceable, so the farm had to update its practices. A few years later, the farm opened its first store where they could sell their PDO walnuts and walnut oil.
Between 2014 and 2020, thanks to an association of family members, the farm developed and converted into an organic farm in order to embrace current challenges. Today, the Michallet farm continues to expand and helps us transform the cosmetics industry into a more sustainable and responsible field.
We invite you to discover the harvesting process adopted by the Michallet farm.
Pro tip: the washing station and the processing of walnuts into oil
The walnuts are washed to remove dirt, then placed in a stone trap to eliminate any stones collected. Subsequently, the walnuts are directed to the huller-washer, which is used to remove the green skins from the walnuts. After that, they are sorted on a conveyor belt to get rid of remaining impurities such as small twigs, shells, and damaged walnuts.
The walnuts then go through the drying stage where they will remain for 3 to 5 days at a temperature of over 30°C. The final stage is sizing. In order to benefit from the "Noix de Grenoble" (Grenoble Walnut) designation, the walnuts must measure more than 28 millimeters.
To obtain the walnut oil you know, the farm uses an external miller. The farm shells the walnuts into kernels and then sorts them by color. The walnut kernels intended for oil production are taken to the mill.
The miller uses a traditional method to obtain the walnut oil that we use in our novëm skincare products!
First, the miller empties the walnuts onto a plate, and the grinder crushes them until a paste is obtained. This paste is collected and then taken to the heater, where it is heated (but not cooked) at a temperature of over 100°C! This block of walnuts is then transferred into a scourtin (cotton cloth), which is placed in an electric press. Once the pressing is finished, you can see our beautiful walnut oil flowing out!
The walnut oil is then brought back to the Michallet farm where it will be filtered, bottled, and labeled before being transferred to the laboratory.
Our partnership
Currently, Novëm is growing rapidly, and our collaboration with the Michallet farm allows us to offer the best products to our customers. As our goal is to make cosmetics and skincare more sustainable, responsible, and environmentally friendly, the partnership with the Michallet farm perfectly aligns with our values.
Our collaboration also allows us to promote local producers with real expertise. Their PDO walnuts mean a lot to us. As the base ingredient for all our skincare products, we are very proud of this fruitful partnership!
