Michael Kerschbaumer, Cooperative Kaslabn

The Kaslabn co-operative, founded by Michael Kerschbaumer, brings together 15 traditional Carinthian mountain farms. The dairy cows of the co-operative farms graze on steep mountain slopes and alpine pastures, which would become overgrown by bushes or forest without grazing. The hay for winter feeding is obtained from species-rich meadows whose plants are dependent on regular, gentle mowing. Michael Kerschbaumer's 20-hectare farm is located at 1,300 metres above sea level. Half of his land is mowed once and grazed once, while the other half is used a maximum of three times. He keeps Tyrolean grey cattle and Styrian pinto goats for milk production as well as Carinthian spectacled sheep for grazing and as a source of meat. In addition to his work as a mountain farmer and his commitment to the Kaslabn co-operative, Michael Kerschbaumer is a passionate cheese maker. By selling organic hay milk products, the mountain farmers in the co-operative preserve an original and biodiversity-promoting cultural landscape in their region.