DEAR READERS

Our reader Peter Hammer from Hausham (letter to the editor: Species protection also for small farmers) addresses the way cows are kept: Playpen all year round with or without pasture and pasture (almost) all year round with tying in the barn at night or only in the cold season.

It is undisputed that the exercise outside in the pasture is ideal for cattle.

Last Saturday we visited a farm near Oberstdorf in the Allgäu that allows its animals to run all year round. The dairy cows are on pastures around the house. From spring to autumn the young cattle are up on the alp. Even in winter, the cattle are only fed their own hay in the playpen. This limits the number of animals, which in turn protects nature (nitrate entry into the groundwater). The farmers of this traditional family business market their cheese themselves. My friend Teresa has sponsored a cow named “Ladina”. This costs 120 euros a year. That sounds like a lot, but it's not, because for this money she gets four kilograms of the best cheese a year. That's 3 euros for 100 grams of raw milk cheese from cows that have a good life. And with it she supports an alpine farm,that operates in an environmentally friendly and sustainable manner. The cheese as well as beef sausage and ham are sent to Munich. Or you can combine a trip to the mountains, like we did at the weekend, with a shopping tour directly at the farmer's. Incidentally, Ladina is a real Allgäu beauty, a Brown Swiss cow.

Christian Vordemann

Editorial letters to the editor