Max Bauer distinguished with the Ordre du mérite agricole
On July 17, Max Bauer, president of the Coordination Rurale du Var and of PACA, was appointed to the Ordre du mérite agricole.
Needless to say, upon the announcement of this distinction, the agricultural unionist wore a natural wide grin across his face. For Max Bauer, being promoted to this Ordre will by no means prevent him from continuing to defend, with pugnacity, the agricultural cause, French agriculture, and from providing support to male and female farmers in difficulty.
BALANCING ACT
It is indeed in this spirit that he created the wonderful association Allo Agri. In all the union positions he has held for 21 years (and some of which he still holds), he had only one goal: to have his proposals defended. Today, he remains anchored in his convictions and determined to make them heard.
However, like a good farmer, Max Bauer knows how to run with the hare and hunt with the hounds in the name of the general interest. He is not a man of posturing. Some claim that he puts his two cents in too often, but he always does so with respect for those open to dialogue. But he always opposes a system that, in his eyes, disserves the French agricultural world by making it more complex, by constantly producing more norms, which are sometimes absurd and restrictive. Sometimes, he has drawn a blank on cases or causes to promote, not knowing how to split the difference. But he is not one to fall in line like neat little onions. Even until pushing up daisies! The expression "the goose is cooked" is not part of his vocabulary. And, since he has no desire to tell tall tales (about leeks), he wishes to share this Italian proverb: "The salad must be well salted, with plenty of vinegar and oil."
GOOD RECIPE
When it came time to give thanks, Max Bauer continued: "In a beautiful salad bowl made of olive wood from Provence, I want to place a few names: To all those I love here below and up there in heaven. To Janine, my wife. With our 42 years of marriage, we manage together the parks and gardens business as well as the farm acquired in 2009."
"To my mother and my mother at heart, who symbolize the family, some of whose members bring great joy and others grief or even great sadness, but whom I forgive. Time will do its work! To the friends I would like to see more often and share a convivial moment through memories that do not make us any younger when we look back at the photos. To Dany Turpin, general secretary of UNIPHOR (Union Nationale des Intérêts des Professionnels Horticoles), of which I have been president for over 15 years, to Marc Allouch, vice-president of the Association des médaillés de l'Ordre du mérite agricole du Var (AMOMA 83), to Senator Françoise Dumont, all of whom, each at their level, contributed to my nomination." To all the wonderful people I have had the chance to meet during my union career, whose first names are part of the long list of the litanies of Saints. Finally, in every good recipe, there is always an ingredient that makes the difference: "To you Gilles, for all the articles you write or relay in the Gazette du Var. Through my commitment to faith, I am a Christian at the service of my fellow men, so oil is not just culinary but also a symbol in the Bible. An accomplished Christian is a Christian committed to serving their neighbor. How can I not be moved and touched from the bottom of my heart, with great modesty, when I know that France counts among its recipients the famous researcher Louis Pasteur. The France that I love and defend with its values of equality, fraternity, and liberty, in respect of our peaceful Republic. A France proud of its traditions, its culture, and its heritage. Sweet France! I invite you to ponder Sénèque's phrase: 'Have I deserved what is happening to me or not? If I have deserved it, it is not an offense, it is only justice; if I have not deserved it, it is the culprit who should blush.'"
Why the nickname "poireau"?
The insignia represents a white-enameled star hanging from a ribbon whose dominant color is green. This is the popular expression of the Mérite agricole. Jules Méline, Minister of Agriculture, proposed to Jules Grévy, President of the Republic, to establish, on July 7, 1883, the reward of agricultural merit in the spirit of the founder. This was to have the same value as the Légion d'honneur. It is intended to reward women and men who have rendered outstanding services to agriculture. At the time of its creation, opposition deputies as well as journalists derided this distinction with the nickname "poireau". The Conseil du Mérite agricole meets twice a year, in January and July, to study proposed nominations for which an inquiry is conducted (verification of civil status, criminal record, and the candidate's merits). It is composed of 17 members, holding the rank of Commandeur, chosen by the Minister of Agriculture, the chief of staff, and the vice-president of the Conseil Général de l'Alimentation de l'Agriculture et des Espaces Ruraux (CGAAER).
Photo PRESSE AGENCE.