Portrait Alp Oberblegi / Familie Franz und Andrea Weber-Elmer mit Franziska und Tina

"ALPINE FARMERS WITH PASSION"
Franz Weber-Elmer is already in his 35th Alpsommer on Oberblegi. When he looks back, he talks about the first alpine summers, when he decided at the age of 15 to manage Alp Oberblegi together with his parents and siblings. He hopes that the times will return a little bit when alpine and mountain farming, the closeness to nature, gains in importance.

It's a natural cycle. At the beginning of June, the animals in the valley move up to the heights, up with their herdsmen into the alpine areas. While the alpine cattle spend the summer at higher altitudes – grazing there to ensure that pastures remain open and in some places the finest Glarus alpine cheese is produced from the rich alpine milk – the green areas in the valley are "hayed" so that the animals have enough feed even in winter. This is how the alpine and valley farmers maintain our mountain landscape, in which everyone likes to move.

WITH MANY ANIMALS, CLOSE TO NATURE

"This is exactly what prompted me to go to z'Alp when I was young," says Franz Weber-Elmer from Schwändi. This cycle, which also makes steep alpine and, above all, mountain areas usable via traditional livestock farming. "It's close to nature, to our food, to the animals. It's what we value." Seasonal and regional. Valuable and laborious. He hopes that awareness of this will continue to grow. Alp Oberblegi is located above Luchsingen. Shortly after today's mountain station of the Luchsingen-Brunnenberg cable car, the Unterstafel is reached after a few hairpin bends. These few hairpin bends are enough to arrive in the alpine world. The huts of the Unterstafel are stately, the alpine cheese dairy is up to date. Alp Oberblegi is a private alp, the J.J. Blumer sel. is the owner. The pasture area stretches from about 1280 m above sea level. M. up to 1900 m above sea level. M. Around 72 dairy cows, 15 suckler cows and 75 head of young cattle spend the summer here. Not to forget the 50 alpine pigs that loudly devour the Schotte – the leftover product from cheesemaking.

GLARUS ALPINE CHEESE, ALP-MUTSCHLI AND MORE

From the cheese kessi, Franz and his alpine team pull tens of tons of Glarus alpine cheese, including Alp-Mutschli and Alp raclette cheese, summer after summer. In this way, the alpine milk is preserved by means of learned crafts. "Cheese care is then once again a labour-intensive and important part on the way to a loaf of Glarus alpine cheese, followed by a trip to the cheese cellar every day," says Franz Weber-Elmer. So that after six to seven weeks the large wheels are ready for sale. And with every bite you think of the beautiful alpine meadows and the Oberblegisee. "Because that's what alpine life is all about. And has remained the same over all these years," says Franz Weber-Elmer. Freedom. And passion.