Grazing dairy cows in mountain pastures for self-sufficiency

The Küng farm in the Aurina Valley, South Tyrol, Italy, at 1,100 m altitude, transitioned to organic farming in 2003 after Walter Steger took over in 2002. To balance dairy farming and hospitality, the herd was reduced from 40 to 22 cows, and a short sward grazing system was implemented on 6.5 hectares. A simple milking parlour was built to reduce technical complexity. The Grausvieh breed, well-adapted to steep terrain, grazes from mid-April to late October. Winter hay comes from 16 leased meadows. High forage quality eliminates the need for concentrates. Machinery is shared via Maschinerung, a local cooperative, reducing costs but requiring organisational flexibility.