It was an overall good alpine summer in the Miesbach district.
The heavy rain ensured that the forage for the cattle grew in abundance.
The alpine farmers also have worries about the future.
Miesbach / Tegernsee
- There were times when extreme drought made the alpine farmers in the district difficult to cope with.
2018 was such a year.
Back then, some farmers even had to drive their cattle back down into the valley earlier than usual.
In some places, not enough forage grew back.
The opposite is the case this year.
Because of the heavy rain, the young grass has steadily grown back - "It was a very productive summer," reports Susanne Krapfl from the Alpine Farming Center, which is affiliated with the Office for Food, Agriculture and Forests (AELF) in Holzkirchen.
The water supply on the alpine pastures was also ensured at all times.
The problem of the future: Too few cattle on the alpine pastures
So is a tailor-made alpine summer coming to an end here?
Not quite.
This year's upswing has clearly shown the worries that alpine farming will have to struggle with in the future.
As Krapfl explains, it cannot be said with certainty whether enough cattle were grazing on the alpine meadows this year to be able to utilize the large amount of fodder.
In other words: the alpine farmers are having increasing problems getting enough cattle for their alpine pastures.
This is also confirmed by the Tegernsee district alpine farmer Anton Maier (zum Dersch), who, among other things, manages the Wechselalm in the Rottach Sutten area.
“It is becoming more and more difficult to get the alpine pastures full,” says the farmer from Ellmau.
Almwirtschaftlicher Verein could have placed many more animals
The Almwirtschaftliche Verein Oberbayern (AVO) is responsible for bringing together farmers who want to house their cattle on the alpine pastures and the alpine farmers.
"He could have placed a lot more animals this year," reports Krapfl.
She fears that this downward trend could continue.
In general, there are fewer and fewer farmers, and large farms with loose stalls often see no need to bring their cattle to the alpine pastures.
"That is the great concern of the future," says Krapfl: "Where do we bring the animals that we need on the alpine pastures from?"
A stroke of luck: the threat from the wolf is not (yet) an issue this year
Another major concern was hotly debated in the run-up to the alpine summer. Fortunately, the worst fears did not materialize - there was no threat to the alpine cattle from the wolf in the Miesbach district. But that does not solve the problem, emphasizes Anton Maier. “The wolf is getting closer, we have to stay on our guard.” The farmer demands that we continue to educate people and exert pressure. “Because that doesn't work well in the long run.” Soon, on Saturday, October 2nd, the Bavarian Farmers' Association (BBV) is planning a large-scale rally on the subject of wolves at Munich's Königsplatz under the title “Ausgebimmelt - Protection for grazing animals”. Krapfl suspects that many alpine farmers from the region will also be present at the demonstration. Krapfl makes it clear: "We have no way of protecting ourselves from wolves on the mountain pastures."
Despite many storms: Not as many accidents as feared
Basically, cattle on the mountain are exposed to a wide variety of dangers.
Storms with mudslides and lightning strikes repeatedly claim their victims.
Susanne Krapfl has not yet received any precise figures about accidents this summer in the Alps.
But in view of the many storms this summer, her impression is that "astonishingly little has happened".
Maier can confirm that.
There have been a few crashes and animals involved in accidents, “but our area has been spared major accidents”.
Because of Corona: No cattle drives with crowds of visitors
Actually, an accident-free summer is an occasion to festively decorate the cattle during the cattle drive and drive them down into the valley under the eyes of spectators.
In the middle of October, the last farmers and herdsmen in the Miesbach district will bring the cattle back to the local stables.
Because of Corona, most of the cattle drives this year are quietly going on.
"There are probably only a few alpine pastures that are as festive as usual," believes Krapfl.
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