Not suitable for everyone

Alpine dairyman’s life: “dream job” with a bitter aftertaste

As beautiful as life on the alpine pasture as a dairyman can be, it can also be tough. In order to avoid frequent job losses, those responsible want to draw even more attention to the requirements in future and offer courses and further training.

(Bild: zVg)

Alpine farming association is urgently looking for helpers for the alpine pastures. But not everyone is suitable for this beautiful but challenging job. 

The feeling of freedom and the search for silence. Many people dream of an idyllic life on the mountain pasture and try their hand as a dairyman. The demand for this job is high. Very often, applicants come from the city or are career changers who want to try their hand as a shepherd in the mountains.

However, this "dream job" is often underestimated by many. Many people only realize that the job requires physical and mental resilience when they are already in the thick of the action. "Unfortunately, many only see the beauty, rarely the work such as milking, herding animals, housekeeping, driving tractors, managing huts and more," says Josef Brunner from the Alpine Farming Association, speaking from experience.

In Carinthia, dedicated alpine dairymen who can lend a hand are urgently needed for the coming summer season.

(Bild: zVg)

Instruction video to prevent the season from being canceled
The alpine dairymen then cancel their stay in the middle of the season, which is a nightmare for the local alpine pasture economy, "because it is then difficult to find a replacement quickly, which is extremely important for management and tourism," Brunner continues.

And that's why his colleague Peter Fuchs has created an instructional video. "You can only enjoy the alpine dairyman's life and experience it as beautiful if you are aware that work awaits you here, as in any industry, and that you are confronted with various alpine situations such as sick or lost animals, extreme weather conditions, technical problems and stress," explains Fuchs and refers to information portals such as the website of the Almwirtschaftsverband.