Zermatt Magazin 2015

Einheimische Produkte | Zermatt Magazin 73
for Blacknose sheep. Our ancestors
knew why they were breeding
Black nose sheep. This species is
better suited to our Alpine pastures
than mutton sheep. Blacknose
sheep have less meat, but it’s tastier.
Do you also use the wool?
We process the wool ourselves and
use it in our hotel business. Our
guests sleep on sheep’s wool mattresses
with sheep’s wool duvets
and pillows. We also sell blankets
and knitting wool.
Do you also use the meat in
your own business?
We don’t sell a single kilo of lamb.
Our restaurants use four tonnes of
dried meat.
The Julen family don’t like
wolves then?
If you’re a passionate shepherd, you
don’t need to ask that question.
Sheep and wolves don’t go together.
We shepherds don’t have any sympathy
for the wolf.
What is the root of the problem?
I don’t understand why our cantonal
government is being so cooperative
about the reintroduction of the wolf.
It’s about working on the land that
supported our ancestors. Without
Alpine farming, we wouldn’t exist.
Can you protect sheep herds
on our Alpine pastures from the wolf
with dogs or enclosures?
Absolutely impossible. That’s just a
fanciful idea. They want us to go
back to a time when children and
cheap labour looked after the herds
of sheep on the Alpine pastures,
with the added requirement from
the government that the sheep
should be driven together in guarded
herds of up to 300 to 400 animals.
What would the consequences be?
If we drive large herds of sheep up
to 3000 m above sea-level in the
Alps, it will ruin the turf, which
goes against the purpose of modern
Alpine farming.
Should the sheep only graze in
summer on the lost, forgotten pastures?
Certainly not. A study commissioned
by the Valais government
shows that in our canton alone, 150
pastures are rated at zero, as non-usable
and therefore not to be protected
for small livestock.
Local shepherds are therefore supposed
to drive their animals together
in large herds on protected pastures.
That, however, doesn’t reflect
the spirit and purpose behind preserving
biodiversity and the landscape.
Does that mean that Alpine pastures
should be protected and not sheep?
Red zones were marked out in different
regions, where sheep are not
allowed to graze in summer. Pastures
with moraine grass were designated
areas worthy of protection.
Sheep have grazed on this ground
for centuries, so it should be preserved.
Why should this change? It
will only further destroy what you’re
supposedly trying to protect. Instead
of fewer animals, we should
be grazing more, to counteract the
low levels of management on Alpine
pastures.
How significant is sheep-farming
for tourism in a world-famous health
resort like Zermatt?
Sheep-farming in Upper Valais
should not be underestimated.
There is a large sheep-farming culture
in Upper Valais, closely linked
with Alpine farming, which tourism
also benefits from. I receive enquiries
every day about purchasing
sheep. My son regularly organises
multi-lingual visits of the stables.
Groups of people come to see my
wife in our mountain restaurant on
the Stafelalpe to learn about the art
of Alpine cheese-making. When I
travel in Asia, I’m always hearing
people asking and raving about the
fantastic Goats’ Parade on Bahnhofstrasse
in Zermatt. The culture provides
great photo opportunities too.
Summer on the pastures, winter in the stables. Brothers Paul and Ruedi Julen with
Josef Zuber feeding the animals.
What does that mean?
Tourism and farming are immensely
important for a tourist destination.
It’s not contrived; it’s everyday
culture, these are our roots. We impart
these values to the tourists.
People don’t come to Zermatt just
for our hash browns; they come for
the Alpine scenery and the unique
nature that is preserved by Alpine
farming. The flora and fauna are
the icing on the cake for summer
tourism. There are ski lifts, railways
and ski slopes everywhere.