Some have had to close their stable doors forever, but there are still 2080 Alpine Meadows in Tyrol. Finding good alpine staff is becoming increasingly difficult, but there is hope.
Thousands of people looking for relaxation up close and far to the Tyrolean Alpine Pastures, 2080 in number. They meet 32,000 dairy cows, 77,000 cattle, 3500 horses, 68,000 sheep and 7,000 goats. To live together, there are not only rules of conduct for guests on the mountain (especially with a dog), but also training courses for Alpine staff.
“Often exposed to wind and weather”
“Life on the Alm is not only full of sunshine, but also full of privacy,” says Elmar Monz, chairman of the Tyrolean Almwirtschaftverein. “Fortunately, the interest in courses for the Alpine staff is great. An attempt is made to prepare them in the best possible way for practice,” says Monz. The work is often physically tiring: “Often you are exposed to wind and weather and times and again it is important to manage only challenging situations”.
Alpine Economy is supported by the public sector
In addition to the training, a fair fee is therefore also required. “Economically, this is difficult to map for the companies, so we are happy that there are different supports from the state of Tyrol to guarantee the maintenance of the Tyroolean Alpine Pasture,” emphasizes the chairman of the Almwirtschafts.
Protection of the Almn animals against Wolf and Beer
In recent years, costs for costs to protect the Almn animals against Wolf and Bear have come to the already high costs. Here too, public funds are used to dampen them, as LWK president Josef Hechenberger describes: “Great predators not only mean animal disease, but also financial damage.”
And further: “To keep both low, the milestone was recently successful: the adjustment of the FFH directive (comment: protection status of the wolf against strictly protected on protected) was approved by the EU council.
“Army” by Alpine Shepherds in Action
But back to the 126,000 hectares of the meadow in Tyrol, which forms the Tyroole landscape considerably and is an important building block for the tourist success of Tyrol, such as the Room of Agriculture and ALM Association at the same time. The Alpine Catering has not yet been completed. It is only around the summer solstice where the highest alpine meadows will be encountered.
“To make an alpine possible at all, countless working hours must be processed. The areas must be maintained, fences, paths, drinks and stables are maintained and of course the animals must also be cared for. The last care for 1800 Alpine Pastors around 3000 shepherds.”
Production base for food production
But even dumplings are also used on the alpine meadows, as Elmar Monz emphasizes: “The alpine meadows are valuable production base for food production. If a cultural landscape is created by -product that is indispensable for tourism and release management.”
“Krone”: President, Alpine Pastures, there are always incidents with Alpine Cattle. What do you advise the walkers?
Josef Hechenberger: For us farmers, the Alpine pastures are the economic area. We urgently need these areas to be able to make feed reserves for the winter. That is one side. On the other hand, we believe that the number of hikers on the Alpine meadows is increasing steadily. That’s a good thing. We are happy to offer our cultural landscape for recreational purposes. But: hikers must give the necessary respect for the land of the farmers’ families, but also for the grazing animals. As far as possible, everyone must enjoy the Almer experience and return to the valley without an accident.
There are neuralgic points on alpine meadows, where many guests and walkers and many alpine cattle meet. What is being done to harm these points?
We constantly inform our companies, we have also developed Warn painter together with the Alpineverein, so that people know what to expect when they come to the Alpine pasture. And it was also important that the tourist associations convey the right behavior: so do not march in the middle of the herd, but comply with the safety distance, especially in dogs. I urgently advise to trust children on lying cows. We always get photos of such scenes. This only increases the risk and brings nothing with it. The Alpine farmers stood there for the walkers. You are a welcome guest at the Alm, but you are a guest.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
