This is me, Saturday morning before Marion came to get me for our second day of vet visits!
Before Marion picked me up I snapped a quick picture of Nik in his full body-suit and mask that he wears while spraying the grapes. Here, he is pictured mixing chemicals to protect against mildew and downy mildew.
Marion (pictured below) and I rode up to the Alm (alpine pasture) in a cable car used only by farmers and vets. Other than hiking, this is the only way to get to these farms up on the Alm. We rode up with groceries for the week!
On our way up we had wonderful views and cool breezes. This is an Alm Hut, or a vacation hut up on the Alm. Marion said that 30 years ago everyone from Dorf Tirol would bring their families up to the Alm to spend time there. It was a fun community for learning and playing. She says now its not as popular and usually farmers are the people that still live there.
This is the first farm we "landed at" to change cars.
Here is their herd of Grauvieh and Fleckvieh (pronounced "grau-fee" and "fleck-fee). The Grauvieh is literally translated as "gray cow." They are a breed of cow indigenous to the area. They navigate the steep slopes very well. Other breeds are prone to falling and becoming stuck in places and sometimes need to be airlifted by helicopters! I had not been so close to the Grauvieh before and was unable to appreciate how beautiful they are! They are also a very small and calm cow. Here are some more close-ups...
All the cows have big bells on their collars, so one can find them up in the Alm. It sounds like music when riding by on the cable car!
Our second cable car trip brought us to the high lakes that are filled by glacial water. Rivers flow down into Dorf Tirol where one can go swimming!
Here is the herd of goats at this farm.
and close up...
We came all this way to artificially inseminate one Grauvieh. We stayed at the top and Marion and I were given a fresh glass of milk each. The times when I may sit with Marion on the Alm, drinking fresh milk, are my favorite experiences so far in Italy. It makes me feel very connected with the work I am doing at Brunnenburg, and what I can do helping Marion. It also reminds me of home, in Vermont and New Hampshire, and all of the possibilities to explore in local food production. If drinking fresh milk makes me feel this good, perhaps it can make others feel the same way.
Here, I thank a Grauvieh for the milk. In this sequence of pictures I see if she will accept a good scratch and massage. I am going to hike back up here next weekend so I may see this farm again. Its such a fun place to be!
Here is a row of beautiful Holsteins. We visited this farm for a cow with mastitis. We also visited another farm to see a Fleckvieh heifer that was having a bad recovery from birth. We saw a pair of Fleckvieh twins while we were there! The Fleckvieh is a brown and white cow used for milk and meat that produces a good quantity while staying healthy living in a barn.
Here is a picture of a little rabbit that I helped neuter today! Between spaying the cat on Wednesday and neutering a rabbit today I am all set to start my vet practice! Just kidding, but what an interesting way to be involved. I love working with cows for a few stops and then having a mix of small animals as well. If you would like to see pictures from the surgery, email me or I'll show you when I get back.
Riding around with Marion is such a wonderful experience! She shows me wonderful places around the valley and in the Alm and gives me great exploring ideas. I also get to meet some cool farmers. I'm interested in harvesting hay by hand since I have seen so many doing it. I'm going to practice with a scythe while I am here and visit some good 'ol Vermonters that harvest by hand (that means a trip to GMC! Look out Kenneth, here I come!).
What a fun day!
