L'Aire de dépiquage de Saint-Joseph

This 180 m² paved area was used to thresh and winnow grain. The area was restored in 1842 and counts among the numerous private thresthing floors in the country. In the South of France, grain was usually threshed by animals crushing the ears of corn underfoot, whereas in other regions, the grain was threshed with flails. Once the grain separated, the chaff was removed using a "van" (large wicker basket with two handles). The mix of grain and chaff was tossed in the air until the chaff blew away in the wind. In July 2007 the area was cleared by a team of pioneer scouts from Loverval (Belgium).