The challenging life of Swiss mountain farmers
The challenging life of Swiss mountain farmers
Learn about mountain farming in the Swiss Alps.
Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz; Thumbnail © Stefano Ember/Dreamstime.com
Transcript
NARRATOR: A sweet word can help even the bitterest medicine go down.
FARMER DOMENI: "Alpine medical methods - is that good or what? Fantastic, fantastic. I know, bread tastes better."
NARRATOR: It takes far more than a sick ox to ruin farmer Domeni's mood. It does get to him a bit when he has to corral his animals though. Domeni is at a loss when he thinks about the future of mountain farming. Working in the highlands is his dream job. The animals are a lot of work, but they don't bring him any profit.
DOMENI: "If this continues for another 20 years or so like it is now, then, eventually, people will say it makes no sense and farms will slowly disappear."
NARRATOR: For these people life as a mountain farmer is just beginning - but it's only going to last a week. For years now Swiss Caritas has been sending helpers into the mountains. They've come to help farmer Domeni free of charge. Those who volunteer to do this have to get their hands dirty. This is a far cry from agritourism. Stable boy Stephan is checking out the new arrivals.
STEPHAN: "City folk are pretty good at cutting grass. They have some problems with the scythe, but they're hard workers."
NARRATOR: Work on the mountainsides isn't just hard on city folks. Ever fewer young Swiss are willing to take over these farms - too much work for too little return. They leave to work in the lowlands. Domeni too has always needed to rely on a fixed income.
DOMENI: "My wife had a full-time salary. She earned around 5,000 Swiss francs a month. She doesn't earn that any more, but she did for many years. And that works. You can feed a family on that. You can invest in agriculture too. I don't think I would have managed on my own."
NARRATOR: After work, Domeni's wife keeps house. They've put everything they have into the farm, but it still isn't enough. Most of the mountain farmers who are still around are able to farm solely thanks to the Swiss state, which keeps them going with subsidies. But money alone isn't enough. Hands-on support is required. With their involvement, the volunteers are helping to complete one of the most important tasks here in the Alps, landscape conservation.
DANIEL KROSSENBACHER: "This is a beautiful natural museum. But there is a reason why it's this way in the first place. It is a cultivated cultural landscape that has come to be over centuries. And we have the mountain farmers to thank for that. If we want to conserve this landscape and if we want the products they produce, we have to do something to help them. One way is by lending a hand to those who are still farming. That's exactly what we're doing."
NARRATOR: Domeni has no problem helping conserve the landscape. He is happy to put in long hours. He works so much the volunteers are awestruck.
VOLUNTEER: "It makes me feel a bit guilty about how I live, my life in the lowlands, with all the luxury and comfort it offers. My work is nothing compared to this. Nothing at all."
NARRATOR: After a week of cutting and raking, the volunteers are ready to head back to the city. Domeni stays put, voluntarily. He could work in an office in the valley. If he did, he would have a less hectic life, more spare time and more perspective. But no, he wouldn't even contemplate any other job than the one he has up here.
FARMER DOMENI: "Alpine medical methods - is that good or what? Fantastic, fantastic. I know, bread tastes better."
NARRATOR: It takes far more than a sick ox to ruin farmer Domeni's mood. It does get to him a bit when he has to corral his animals though. Domeni is at a loss when he thinks about the future of mountain farming. Working in the highlands is his dream job. The animals are a lot of work, but they don't bring him any profit.
DOMENI: "If this continues for another 20 years or so like it is now, then, eventually, people will say it makes no sense and farms will slowly disappear."
NARRATOR: For these people life as a mountain farmer is just beginning - but it's only going to last a week. For years now Swiss Caritas has been sending helpers into the mountains. They've come to help farmer Domeni free of charge. Those who volunteer to do this have to get their hands dirty. This is a far cry from agritourism. Stable boy Stephan is checking out the new arrivals.
STEPHAN: "City folk are pretty good at cutting grass. They have some problems with the scythe, but they're hard workers."
NARRATOR: Work on the mountainsides isn't just hard on city folks. Ever fewer young Swiss are willing to take over these farms - too much work for too little return. They leave to work in the lowlands. Domeni too has always needed to rely on a fixed income.
DOMENI: "My wife had a full-time salary. She earned around 5,000 Swiss francs a month. She doesn't earn that any more, but she did for many years. And that works. You can feed a family on that. You can invest in agriculture too. I don't think I would have managed on my own."
NARRATOR: After work, Domeni's wife keeps house. They've put everything they have into the farm, but it still isn't enough. Most of the mountain farmers who are still around are able to farm solely thanks to the Swiss state, which keeps them going with subsidies. But money alone isn't enough. Hands-on support is required. With their involvement, the volunteers are helping to complete one of the most important tasks here in the Alps, landscape conservation.
DANIEL KROSSENBACHER: "This is a beautiful natural museum. But there is a reason why it's this way in the first place. It is a cultivated cultural landscape that has come to be over centuries. And we have the mountain farmers to thank for that. If we want to conserve this landscape and if we want the products they produce, we have to do something to help them. One way is by lending a hand to those who are still farming. That's exactly what we're doing."
NARRATOR: Domeni has no problem helping conserve the landscape. He is happy to put in long hours. He works so much the volunteers are awestruck.
VOLUNTEER: "It makes me feel a bit guilty about how I live, my life in the lowlands, with all the luxury and comfort it offers. My work is nothing compared to this. Nothing at all."
NARRATOR: After a week of cutting and raking, the volunteers are ready to head back to the city. Domeni stays put, voluntarily. He could work in an office in the valley. If he did, he would have a less hectic life, more spare time and more perspective. But no, he wouldn't even contemplate any other job than the one he has up here.