Picnickers, Charolais lovers.

Of all ages and from various corners of Quebec, some 240 persons descended on La Ferme Patry de Weedon on August 3. They brought with them good cheer and a shared interest in those massive white beef cattle known as the Charolais.

It was the Patry family’s turn to host the annual picnic for members of the Charolais Association of Quebec, and they did it in style. The event began at 2 p.m., and included tours of the Charolais herd and the neighbourhood, visiting around picnic tables, a cattle auction, a mechoui, and music until 2 a.m.

Everywhere was visible the fine touch of the owners of La Ferme Patry: Jean-Pierre Patry, Pierre-Marc Patry and Myrianne Lessard. A display area showcased the history of the farm, and booths offered services and resources. A row of magnificent dahlias blossomed alongside the sheltered picnic tables, where the adults circulated and chatted.The children enjoyed an inflatable playground, watched the chickens and checked out the Charolais herd grazing in the adjacent pasture.

Then to the pride of the farm: the Charolais cattle themselves, pure bred and pasture-raised. The crowd gathered around the barnyard for an auction of two Charolais bulls and two heifers from the Patry farm. Bidding was fierce for the heavyweight, hornless animals, and Jean-Pierre Patry said he was «very satisfied» with the results.

And the sun held off the rain all afternoon until the mechoui was ready. Four long rows of tables were set up in the spick-and-span hayloft of the barn to accommodate the hungry crowd.The mechoui featured juicy Charolais roast beef from the Patry farm, without hormones or antibiotics, and pork from the nearby Porcherie Denis Nadeau.

Not to mention a drawing for five doses of semen from a popular Patry bull, and doorprizes, and then music and dancing until the wee hours of the morning.

Charolais cattle probably date back to ancient Roman times, when the Romans took them into France and England during their invasions, says the Canadian Charolais Association website. Today’s Charolais forebears came from the Charolles region in France, and the first were brought to Canada in 1953.

Overall, Jean-Pierre said he was very happy with the event. «The weather was on our side, and it was a perfect day.»

Although guests from western Canada were not able to attend, as had been planned, at least one anglophone was present: the very valuable bull Tri-N Stout 376A, sold at auction, who had «immigrated» to La Ferme Patry from Manitoba in 2014.