We are part of the ARCHE family
An ARCHE farm is a breeding and presentation centre for old and endangered livestock breeds.
Many people know that species of wild plants and animals are dying out every day. Few people realise that the same fate is also threatening many of our livestock and domestic animal breeds.
The agricultural livestock population now consists of only a few - so-called high-performance breeds. Numerous breeds that used to be very popular and widespread have become uneconomical due to short-sighted thinking (but only apparently so). Many breeds that no longer fulfil the one-sided breeding objectives of modern livestock production have either died out or only exist in residual stocks.
As a result, not only is precious genetic material that has been native to us for centuries irretrievably lost, but a piece of ‘living cultural history’ is also disappearing forever.
At a time of economic change in agriculture and the ecological distress of our world, our society, our generation, is obliged to preserve these values for our descendants. The objective of increasing production in agriculture is increasingly being called into question; environmentally friendly production, extensification and landscape conservation are coming to the fore. Last but not least, consumer demand for product quality and species-appropriate animal husbandry is growing. In view of this development, the use of robust and frugal, traditional multi-purpose breeds will become increasingly important again. These old, extensive breeds are not suitable for mass livestock farming, but are ideal for alternative production farmers.
Our ARCHE farms are particularly suitable for familiarising the interested public with this issue.
One of the aims of an ARCHE farm is to familiarise the general public with the practical aspects of preserving old, endangered livestock breeds and to show how endangered livestock breeds can be integrated into farming operations.
An ARCHE farm should fulfil certain criteria in order to be an attractive, experience-based platform for knowledge transfer, as well as being able to act as a role model for people interested in the conservation of biodiversity.
For this reason, a catalogue of criteria summarises the requirements that must be met in order to be recognised as an ARCHE farm.
The recognised ARCHE farm can use this title for its own benefit in its public relations work, as well as for products and advertising material.
Our cattle breeding
We breed “Pustertal Sprinzen” (a typical cattle from the valley Pusteria) and South Tyrolean gray cattles. We keep our cattles close to nature in the open stables with unrestricted access to pasture.
Undisturbed alpine summer
Our cattle feel at home on the Neves Alm in Val Pusteria/Pustertal in summer. In autumn they return to our stables refreshed.
Sulmtal chickens
Our Sulmtal chickens also live close to nature in a free-range environment and, as good ‘foragers and foragers’, prefer to find their own food.
Stable work
Mucking out and feeding are part of the daily routine on a livestock farm. The animals need to be cared for 365 days a year, and the farmer always welcomes helping hands.
Children, in particular, enjoy getting actively involved during visits to the stables.
We respect – what we love
We are leaving old paths and taking new directions - for a sustainable and conscious approach to the environment, nature and our resources.
Discover the future of sustainable energy generation on our farm! We rely on environmentally friendly solutions and heat with wood, a renewable energy source, and a modern heat pump. We also obtain our electricity directly from our own photovoltaic system on the roof.