Harvesting the flax straws is a team effort. An inspector first comes to examine the long stems that have been retting on the ground for a few weeks. When the transformation provoked by micro-organisms has taken place, he gives the green light for harvest. A first machine collects the seeds that would be used the following year for sowing or producing flours and oils. A second machine picks up the long straws still filled with fibers. They work on two rows at the same time.