AgriViva arranges internships for young people on farms in all language regions of Switzerland. How did you find out about AgriViva?
I read in the “Swiss Review” about a young woman who had worked on a farm. I found her experience interesting and wanted to try it myself. About two and a half months before my assignment, I searched for a farm on the AgriViva website and registered. Finally, at the end of August/beginning of September, I spent two weeks on a farm on the Rotschalp near Brienz in the Bernese Oberland.
How did your typical day begin?
Most days, the cockerel woke me up and I got up at around half past six. First, I let the chickens out and gave them water. Then I usually prepared breakfast and took the cheese from the previous day out of the salt bath. After breakfast together, I stirred the milk, or rather the cheese-to-be, in the large cauldron. Then I went to the cheese cellar to clean the cheese. Later, it was time to feed the pigs.
And what did the afternoon have to offer?
Farmer Hänsel and his adult daughter Martina mostly worked on the valley farm, for example, harvesting hay. In the afternoon, farmer Monica drove to the nearby Planalp stop on the Brienzer Rothornbahn railway to sell the mature cheese there. So, I was often alone in the afternoon and did things like collecting the freshly laid eggs from the chickens, washing the dishes, and turning the fresh cheese. I also always had some free time. Everything on the alp was heated with wood, so I sometimes stacked firewood.
And how was the evening?
Shortly after five o’clock, Monica, Martina and Hänsel returned to the alp. I usually helped with milking or in the cheese cellar, and then with preparing dinner. I also put the freshly made cheese in the nightly salt bath. After dinner together, there was almost always something else to do, or we did crossword puzzles and played other games. After feeding the chickens and locking them safely in their coop, everyone went to bed early.
AgriViva aims to build bridges between urban and rural areas and different cultures. How did you enjoy your time on the farm in Switzerland?
Even though some things were very unfamiliar to me and not everything worked out the first time, I really enjoyed it. I found it very interesting to look beyond my own horizons and learn new things. It is fascinating to see how fresh cheese is made every day by a lot of manual labour on the alp.
What did you like most?
I really liked that there was always something to do. We went to the mountains twice, once to drive the calves to another pasture and once just to enjoy the view. I thought that was really nice. I also attended the descent of cattle. And I met another Belinda: a cow with the same name as me. On the subject of names, Adelheid is also worth mentioning: not all the chickens had names, but when they die, which happened during my time there – quite unexpectedly for me – they are all called Adelheid.
Would you recommend to your friends a stay with a farming family?
Yes, of course! I would also like to come back to Switzerland to help out on a farm again.
See also: Gain initial work experience in Switzerland
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