… produced by eighteen cows, thirteen gustis, six calves, six pigs, four chickens and the farmer couple Angie and Philipp. In addition to the daily routine, which starts at half past five in the morning with the cows being herded into the barn for milking and continues until around eight in the evening when the day’s cheese wheels are turned again, there are new challenges every day. Sometimes the pigs steal eggs from the henhouse. Then the cow Aurora takes out her aggression on her barn neighbour Flora and loses her horn in the fight. Another time, the gustis do not feel like going into the barn. The compressor will not start, so the cheese cannot be pressed. The milk in the boiler does not reach the desired temperature, because the wood is too wet and does not burn well. A cow is bleeding from her teat. The pigs have sunburn behind their ears. The cheese culture smells like yeast.
For ten days, we observe the exciting, challenging life on the alp and rejoice in the couple who courageously accept their responsibilities, find solutions to unexpected events and sing while they work hard.
We highly recommend a well-signposted mountain hike to the Hoschüpfe (1,666 metres), where there is a fantastic viewpoint offering a 240-degree panoramic view.
We encountered two badgers, a chamois, vultures circling a dead sheep and an incredibly beautiful flora – purple gentians, delphiniums and white orchids – in the Diemtigtal valley.
It is always spring somewhere.