Reflections on milk production, calf fattening, and sustainable agriculture

Last week, I visited Buure Metzg in Gstaad and, together with the managing director, toured various agricultural farms. It was a wonderful excursion at 1500 meters above sea level, where I learned a great deal about local agriculture and milk and meat production.

The Saanenkalb initiative is particularly noteworthy in the Saanen region. The calves remain on the farm and are fed with milk produced on-site. Milk prices are so low that this approach is the only viable option for farmers. The alternative would be to sell the milk for a low price and then repurchase it as much more expensive milk powder, which is also enriched with numerous additives. From an ecological perspective, it also makes sense, as it eliminates unnecessary transportation and the animals only receive farm-produced milk, grass, and straw.

Unfortunately, the topic of 'calf rearing' is not often discussed, yet it is a reality. Typically, calves are separated from their mothers on the first day, raised in individual pens, and sold to a fattening farm after a few weeks. Since animals from various farms are brought together at such operations, they often receive prophylactic antibiotics. With the Saanenkalb initiative, however, the animals remain on the farm and do not receive antibiotics. In my opinion, mother-reared calf husbandry in milk production would be the icing on the cake.