Swiss Parliament subsidises land use over livestock

Here is an interesting article about how swiss had and will value farming and the production of dairy products. 

Sleeping on Straw

Switzerland has a program that pairs economy-minded hikers with farmers interested in earning some extra income. The hay loft of this farm was converted in the summer into a bunk house. Hikers for a small fee got a place to sleep (albeit close quarters) and breakfast in the morning.

Oh boy, Cutting on a slope

It is grass cutting season in the mountains now. I learned that all farmers seem to use the same equipment. These walk-behinds seem to be the favorite. This farmer added a steel spiked attachment to the wheels (on the high side) to keep his traction on the steep hillside.

Local Egg Shopping / Eier Selbstbedienungsladen

One of local runs Fiona and I do is the Egg Run. Yep, a 5 km trail run in the woods leads to an egg farm with a self-service stand. I load up a 6-pack, pay, and run 3 more km home.

The funniest thing is above the stand. There is a window with the chickens inside (see picture below w/ window above the barn door). They also have free-range chickens, in the backyard.

Follow the Leader

Appenzeller Dairy Cows...

Have you ever tried to get a cow to come to you or even look at you for a picture. They are not exactly obedient, so I am always impressed when a farmer calls and the cows line up to be milked. Note the cows in the upper right, they didn't line up. They must know they don't belong to this farmer.

Oddest Farm Equipment

When you have 1.5 million cows and more steep slopes than flat land, you have to find creative ways to manage manure. This attachment, applies the goodness (liquefied cow manure) to your field in a measured equal way. The added value is that it is neat and tidy.

Farm Cats

Fiona wants you all to know that there are a lot of farm cats here.  Farm cats have free range of the fields.  They are usually on the prowl, hiding in the grass.  They must be doing a good job.  I have not seen a mouse, voll, or rat yet.  .FYI  Fiona is often keenly aware of where the cats are, but figures they are best left alone.  

First Haying

The smell of cut grass is in the air here. The early and warm spring in Switzerland means everything is flowering early, including the grasses. Farmers have been working late to cut, pile, dry and bale the grass before the next rain falls.

Ferhaltorf Expo.

The weekend was the Fehraltorf’s (our home) time to show off. We have been anticipating the Expo for weeks, we arrived early and were not disappointed. There were plenty of competitions including, Speed Milking, the Fastest Fehraltorfian (80 meter dash), a cheese wheel rolling competition, and of course the Miss Fehraltorf competition between the best 15 cows around. We got a taste of local life with a chain-saw art demo, blacksmithing show, and butter turning expos. I learned we have a major radish producer in town, a 24 member accordion band, and a gung-hoe fire department. Later that night, they showed how to burn a building . . . . and put it out, I assume. P.S. I am not going to win any milking contests anytime soon.

September Daily Pics

In September, I started posting pictures on Facebook to share. Eventually, I figured out how to make and post to a blog. Here are the posts I made to Facebook. En Guete!

Welcome: This photo is out of sequence. But it is so cool. Rain and clouds in the Southern Alps could not ruin this sunny day in der Val de Unterschachen, Uri and the light on the waterfall in the midground.

Friday 17.9.10: Brooken Haus. Ruth and I made quick friends with the local 'used store' (think Goodwill) we have an apartment to furnish and the rental car to move items. I used our camera and Ruth's hand signs to remember the sofa options and their price. Fondue Set .. .. Check!

Sunday 9.19.10: Farm Stand. Sunday I went for a road bike ride on one of the national bike routes. Well signed, the routes are popular with bikers and keep to bike paths and quiet backroads. Along the route, farmers have set up stands. This one sold eggs, jams, and fruit syrups. Note to self: bring a bag to carry home the fresh good I find while biking!

Monday 20.9.10: Ruth’s First Trip to work. Fiona and I walk Ruth to the Bahnhof (9 minutes). Fiona was willing to wait right there for Ruth to return. Zurich's commuter rail system is great. 20-25 minutes to Zurich, Ruti, Winterthur. Trains leave every half-hour from our town.

Tuesday 21.9.10: Tuesday Night Ride. I found out about a Tuesday night ride starting 5 minutes from home. Lead by Mac, we had a great ride in the hills west of home, Fehraltorf. Not much single track here.

Wednesday 22.9.10: Local Viewpoint, Scheidegg. With foul weather on the way, I took off for a bike ride. I fed my obsession for climbing hills with this doozy. Roads are steep here in Switzerland 450 meters in 3.8 kms . . ouch. I learned not many people cycle up to the nearby high points. However, you are likely to find a restaurant with plenty of people enjoying the view even on a Wednesday. There were a group of Para-gliders as well. Enjoy the view toward Zurichsee and the Alps.

Thursday 23.9.10: Local Farm. Our new friend Iris, told us about her friend who has a orchard and make great bread. It didn’t take long for us to find it. Yummy Williamsbiren (pears), Rubinolo Apfelds (new type of apple), and Italian plums.

Friday 24.9.10: Functional Sculpture. Plenty of creative people making a living.

Tuesday 28.9.10: Fountains. I just realized there are bunch of Fountains in Fehraltorf (more than most towns).

Saturday: 25.9.10: Southern Escape. With the advice of a new friend Tara, we took the train south to Ticano, Swiss’s Italian speaking Canton on the south side of the alps, to escape some pretty heavy rain on the north side of the Alps. Lots of firsts for Fiona; first train station, escalator, bus, tram, Swiss goats, and mountain hut. It was hard to pick just one picture from this day. But I had to pick this plate of Risotto and Wurst, Malaise style. The wine I hiked/ tramed up from the town Monte Carasso.

Sunday 26.9.10 Mountain Light: Strong winds last night due to the low pressure north of the Alps spilling in to the Southern Alps. I am glad we were in this mountain hut.

Monday 27.9.10 Family Vineyards: The tram provided a unique view of these family wine plots. Bellizona, the city, is in the distance. In this region, middle class families come to these vineyards to relax and enjoy the land. This weekend was harvest time and the whole family seemed to be involved.

Tuesday 28.9.10 Photo from the top of Griggo, 2100 m.

Wednesday 29.9.10 Well maintained yard for everyone to enjoy. Thanks. - Oberholz, Wald, ZH.

Thursday 30.9.10: Urnasher VechSchau. The three us got up early and took a wonderful 2-hour train to Apenzeller with the intent of seeing a cow show. Apenzeller is a region with a strong tie to tradition and we were not let down by the day's festivities. We were in Urnasch, a small town below the the Santis Massif. Everyone was getting ready for the event when we arrived. There was lots of activity in the town when we arrived, wetting the street (cow poop is easier to clean off wet streets), and setting up booths for food and crafts to sell. The town's center was set up with corrals and plenty of fresh hay. Within the hour, the parade began from different farms east and west, all headed to town.

Men and boys, wore traditional knickers,vests, and hats. Girls, handmade dresses. Each participating farm had only small variations to a customary procession that included: 1) a young boy leading the way followed by a herdlet of goats; 2) well dress young men singing and leading the 8-15 best cows; 3) The train ended with an older man (and often his dog) to keep the cows on course.