22.05.2012
Cheese makers at Alpe Ebnet
Alpe Ebnet
On this stunning alp, cheese is made according to traditional recipes and processes, using the natural ingredients to make extraordinary cheese..
For information contact Martin Schnydrig - tel. +41 (0)27 956 34 76
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Daily life at Alpe Ebnet
After the milking of the cows in the morning, they are driven to their resting place on a meadow not far from the hut. Here they eat and when it gets warmer, they are taken to a higher, windier place where they are sheltered from insects. Otherwise they would get annoyed and jump around in order to escape from the unwanted intruders. In the evening the cows are taken back to the meadow near the hut, where they are milked around 4 pm.
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Milk and cheese production
The cows eat the healthy mountain grass and are milked in the modern facilities. The milk goes directly into a copper pot and is immediately processed to make cheese and other dairy products. Our dairy maid Josianne Truffer is always happy to let guests watch her at work and explain her job to them. Once the cheese is taken to the cellar, it is weighed and this information is documented on the cheese in the traditional farmers' way. The excess milk which remains during the cheese-making process is kept for the locals who always appreciate its taste. Those parts which remain from the process but are not good enough to keep are used as food for the pigs.
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Eringer horses
Eringer horses are a rare breed which can still be found in Wallis and also in the Aosta Valley, but hardly anywhere else. Those cows are particularly muscular and strong, with a reddish, brown or black color. The reason this race has survived is in its combative nature. Especially in the 19th century not many people favored these cows, but today, due to the very humane nature of their breeding, they are totally in line with modern agriculture.
The farmers give high importance to species-appropriate treatment. In winter the cows stay in the barn and in fall and spring they are taken to meadows in the low alps surrounding the hut. During the rest of the year, they are kept entirely on high alps, where they can find splendid herbs and tasty grass. In winter, the cows are fed hay from the farm’s own meadow.
Eringer meat
Eringer meat is high-quality, healthy meat coming from species-appropriate breeding and can be recommended to those who are critical of most meat productions.
Transhumance (cattle parade)
This traditional event is one of the highlights of the year. It starts at 9 am when the cows are paraded in the town center. Next up are the “cow fights”, where animals that are foreign to each other playfully try to figure each other out and wrestle for what sometimes can be several hours. After that, the cattle are driven to the higher located Ebnet alp, where the locals gather for some chit-chat, wine and raclette. On the last day, the “winner” of the fights is decorated and celebrated and taken back to the valley.
Cow fights
Eringer cows are renowned for their temperament and combativity. Every spring, they fight for the lead of the herd on the descent to the valley. The cows are not specially trained for this. This kind of fighting is in the nature of the animals. It is the strongest of the lot, “the queen of the herd”, who will be their leader all summer long.
This has lead to the tradition of the “cow fights”, where dedicated breeders present their cows and choose their “opponents” according to weight and size. This playful fight ends when one of the cows turns away and admits defeat. The one cow that never loses a battle is crowned the “queen“. This cow will be the leader of the herd until another, stronger one comes along.
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