“Agriculture should be developed”

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Time came. Christian Schönbächler (36) takes another deep breath. Then he unties the toy car. Tension spreads throughout the marquee, cow cow, farmers. Dolly muttered loudly, her breath caught in the thick air. It smells of straw and damp fur.

Schönbächler takes Dolly down an alley between hundreds of cow asses. Outside, rain hits the tent wall, crows swirling in the gray sky. Cantonal farmers have been waiting for this Saturday for twelve years. At the Schwyz elite show in Rothenthurm SZ they show their greatest pride: the most beautiful cows in their barn.

Another drink, and then Schönbächler and Dolly enter the race a few meters from the ring. Schönbachler looks up. Will Dolly win a loop and bring victory to the hermit’s stable? The judge is waiting in the ring.

mood is feverish

Swiss farming is less glorious than cattle show. It is still seen as an important part of national identity and is supported by high direct payments. But recently, three votes have put them under pressure: It was about drinking water, pesticides, and factory farming. It is increasingly said that agriculture is too harmful to the environment, too expensive, too stubborn.

In contrast, farmers complain of increased administrative efforts and ever-changing conditions. Price pressure from abroad and the effects of climate change make the situation worse. No wonder the number of Swiss farms has halved over the past 40 years, according to the Federal Statistical Office.

Two other popular agriculture-related startups are already in the starting blocks. Their aim: to increase the degree of self-sufficiency in Switzerland. From 49 percent to 60 percent claiming SVP. Among other things, fewer rivers and streams need to be returned to their natural state, as is done today to protect the environment. This will allow farmers to own more arable land.

Franziska Herren (56) is aiming for 70 percent self-sufficiency by increasing the cultivation of plant-based food for humans instead of forage corn for animals. Forage for meat production is currently grown on about 60 percent of Switzerland’s arable land. Herren was the initiator of the drinking water initiative, which was rejected in 2021. It was one of the dirtiest voting battles in Swiss history, with death threats, destroyed posters and podium cancellations.

White pants and a tractor

Schönbächler strokes Dolly’s neck. Most of the farmers around are wearing white pants on their big day – after all! Because a surprising amount comes out of such a Brown Swiss, and often at the most inopportune moment. Helpers, equipped with buckets and rolls of kitchen paper, stand on the left and right to clean up the last splatter.

Schönbächler’s family waving from the stands. Wife Gabriela, three young daughters Julie, Malou and Romy. The couple has been renting the dairy on the outskirts of Einsiedeln since 2018, and Christian Schönbächler’s mother grew up there. There are two dozen “Chueli” in the stable and the family can see the Schwyz mountains from the house next door to Diethelm.

Just a few hours ago, Schönbächler drove the huge wheels of his tractor through Glunggen. It was early, too early even for the dogs that usually patrol Hermit Dirt Road. Actually, Schönbächler is used to early morning hours. He gets up at five every day: milking, manure. But he didn’t sleep well last night. It was exciting.

“We can show what we’re working on at the livestock show,” he says. Compared to smaller shows, the Schwyz Elite Show only takes place every ten to twelve years. Many farmers wanted to be there, but only a few succeeded.

For Schönbächler, competing with two cows today – Dolly and Brocca – is “a big deal”. Even when tense, Schönbächler displays his composure. “The livestock show is the reward for your effort as a farmer.”

The smell of freshly mown grass

“Attention!” A loud voice roars from inside the tent. Accordion music and festivities fall into silence. An iPhone was delivered, unfortunately it no longer works. “Probably because it had an 800-pound brown cattle on it.” In Chüeligurten, a group of shirt-sleeved villagers burst into laughter.

Being a farmer was always Schönbächler’s dream. She finds moments like the first coffee in the morning after the barn especially beautiful, when everything is still so quiet and peaceful. Then work with animals and nature. How grass smells when making hay at the beginning of summer. It’s a very special mix of freedom and bondage. “I produce food – it gives me the feeling that I am doing something meaningful and important,” he says.

But more and more farmers are leaving the field. In 2020, the number of Swiss companies fell below 50,000 for the first time. Schönbächler sees one of the reasons for this in the high commitment that is becoming less and less compatible with today’s society: If there is a problem, the stable comes first. “Except maybe your daughter’s christening,” Schönbächler says and laughs.

Dairy farmers get 33 percent of the selling price

Schönbächler sells the milk obtained from its cows to the dairy factory in Einsiedeln. A good deal is used to make cheese and yogurt in the higher price segment. “The right milk price means we don’t have to squeeze every liter of the cow.”

“Die Grüne,” an agricultural magazine, writes that farmers are making less and less use of the retail price: in 1950 the dairy farmer received 81 percent of the selling price, compared to an average of 33 percent today.

Many people have a misconception about farming. Schönbächler suspects: “Perhaps in recent years too little has been explained about what we actually do and the ideal world has been imitated in advertising.” Because farming is beautiful, but also difficult.

Then it starts. Eight cows and eight farmers begin to move. They enter the ring one after the other and draw circles around the referee. In the twentieth category of the day, life-long performances of animals are rewarded. Dolly will soon be eleven years old. Swiss average: 6.9 years. She gave more than 62,000 liters of milk in total and calved eight times.

Being the elite of the canton keeps well-groomed cows cool. Instead of running gracefully, they run along the ring in an unusual way. You have to pull from the front and push from the back.

From birds and insects

Chickens squeak, pigs grunt. “Burying your head in the sand can’t be the answer,” says Tiana Moser (43) on another farm, another day. “It’s about our livelihood.” The caucus leader of the green liberal party sits in the sun at the Quartierhof Wynegg in the middle of the city of Zurich. Moser used to come here occasionally with his children when they were young.

Moser has called for more agro-farming, campaigned for a drinking water initiative, and created an action plan to reduce pesticides. “Insect and bird mortality, acidification of our water bodies, soil and forests is a reality that we urgently need to address.”

But Moser sees the problem less often in outdated agricultural policy and farmers. “It is clear that the situation is difficult for them – also many farmers see the difficulties. They want to change.” The goal should be to support them rather than slow them down.

What bothers Moser is that there is such strong opposition to agricultural policy. “In the end, everyone has the same goal: efficient agriculture that can continue to exist in the future,” he says. “And even the director of the Federal Department of Agriculture says that this will not be the case if we continue like this.”

Continue as before, this is exactly the case with the 22+ agricultural policy, Moser highlighted in the agricultural “Arena” this March. “So reform is ecologically an absolute zero round,” he says, looking at the palace cat sneaking through the front yard. “This way, we delay problems without solving their causes.” It’s like climate change: the sooner you change course, the less painful it will be.

Digitize agriculture

From “Kloibig” to elongated glands, plump, well-balanced, well fused and perfectly connected: the number of adjectives describing the breast seems endless.

“I understand that agriculture has to change,” Schönbächler said in the morning. Therefore, he is involved in the development of digital farm manager Barto, which aims to digitize agriculture and make farmers fit for the future. The application aims to reduce the administrative effort on the farm.

That’s because every action on a farm is documented to get direct payment from the federal government: when you’ve harvested the “bullet”, put the cows in the pasture. There is also the balance at the beginning of the year, you will probably have to calculate the CO₂ balance in the future. “It’s a big effort,” says Schönbächler. The application is intended to collect data as an interface.

How is this going with colleagues? “We’re a decade late for some, others are extremely skeptical and will continue to work with pen and paper.”

a job changes

It was decided. Cows and farmers line up for the last time. Ranking announcement time. The referee was particularly impressed with the nerd Vierra, with Denise and Arosa following her closely. Dolly is in sixth place. “This is absolutely fine,” Schönbächler says, smiling as he takes his cow back out of the ring. “The competition was strong.” Applause and cheers come from the stands.

Farmer – this is still Schönbächler’s dream job. “But it’s important that we keep improving.” “When he started his apprenticeship 20 years ago, it was a different job,” he said on the tractor that morning. “And in ten years it will be completely changed again.”

You have to face future adjustments. “After all, we’re all doing this voluntarily.” Schönbächler pulls Dolly into the parking lot. It’s still raining outside. Then, after a long day, they’ll load up their cows and bring them back to the barn, where they’ll muddy and milk again.

But first he wants to find his family and friends and have a toast with them. Because farming is hard. Still good for Schönbachler.

Source : Blick