Facing rising straw prices, the Parc du Pilat is exploring an alternative: using wood chips from hedge management as animal litter. Two experimental and technical costing sites took place on October 12 and 13, 2026, in Marlhes and Graix to validate this hypothesis. The cut wood was shredded into forestry chips and will be used as litter. Eight farmers concerned by the subject closely followed this experiment.
Hedge cutting, when done correctly, revitalizes them. It promotes the renewal of shrubs and trees at ground level, strengthens their vigor and density, thus restoring their windbreak effect. This practice also illuminates the base of the hedge, beneficial for young seedlings to germinate, while preserving some of the vegetation cover favorable to biodiversity.
These two pilot projects, part of a collective effort to acquire technical references in the Loire department, aimed to measure the time required for management tasks (logging, hauling, chipping) and to calculate the biomass produced. These measurements help assess the production cost of forestry chips from the Pilat hedgerows. Interventions by partners of the Collectiv’haies 42 program also addressed sustainable management practices and the use of chips as animal litter.
Collectiv’haies 42, comprising the Parc du Pilat, the Mission haie Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, the Fédération départementale des CUMA de la Loire, and the chambre d’agriculture de la Loire, works to identify the interest of local wood valorization chains from hedges (firewood, chips, stakes) and the necessary equipment. Further pilot projects are planned in Pilat in 2027 and 2028.
About twenty farmers in Pilat have committed to the sustainable management of their hedges through the Label Haie (Hedge Label). Since 2021, the Parc du Pilat has supported these farmers through this label, who also receive financial compensation for their efforts. Any farmer with a minimum of 6% hedges per usable agricultural area on their plots can benefit from the Label Haie under the Common Agricultural Policy.
