This is a noteworthy story from a remote and narrow alpine valley in the High Tauern mountains of Austria. The story won’t feature in international news, but for the local farmers and consumers of the Villgraten Valley in East Tyrol, it is big news. A group of farmers launched an initative to build their own slaughterhouse and did so with the express purpose of keeping meat local and avoiding the dictates of the wholesale companies.
So-called “extensive farming” and a unique variety of cattle breeds are typical of the high alpine regions and their small farms and family businesses. The farmers of Villgratental in Austria are proud of their old breeds and rare species of grazing livestock. However, these types of cattle are not necessarily in demand by wholesalers, who not only build their large and automated slaughter facilities for mass production but design them to cull standard-size animals.
The Austrian farmers built their local and collaboratively managed slaughterhouse to allow them to slaughter their own livestock and sell meat and products locally. Currently, ten farms have partnered in the venture, which has the support of the mayors and populations of the small villages in the Villgraten Valley.
The direct marketing profits will benefit the farmers rather than be siphoned off by industrial-style meat producers. In addition, consumers will be able to buy fresh meat products in their own neighborhood and be assured that their food is independent of unpredictable supply chains. Some of the greatest benefits may be for the animals themselves: rather than endure the lengthy and stressful transport to major slaughtering factories, these cattle and small livestock will die stress-free and with a lot more dignity.
We applaud the Tyrolian farmers.
Related:
[In German] Osttirol: Neuer Bauern-Schlachthof öffnet seine Pforten
My mother in law lives in Kammern and told us about this place!
My husband is originally from Matrei which is a town not too far away from this place.
Good on these farmers!
Love Tirol! ☺️
Tyrolean spirit! This is quite close to where my parents grew up in the mountains of NE Italy. Known for its milk cows, their town had a communal cheese factory (lateria) that processed raw milk, butter and cheese, then available to residents or exported. We visited as kids in the 1970’s and I remember the huge wheels of cheese and giant urns of raw milk. A remnant of the early Musolini era that faded away with most of the town population by the 1980/90s.
Great initiative. Congratulations to the farmers of that region in Austria. Many more to follow worldwide next to the many who also exist already.
Really Wonderful!!!! Thanks for sharing!