Thread by @ImmigrSchorschi

"There is no Lord so important in our land
that doesn't live from Farmer's hand"

UK's National Farmers Union @NFUtweets & certainly Mrs Thatcher have taken many a swipe (UK rebate) at the EU subventions paid to small continental farmers but do they know some of the background?

A lovely doc this evening on Bavarian TV showing 5 different Alpine "huts", used for mountaineers (with some sheep), summer meadows for oxen & small cow herds & usually milk used on site for cheese & hunting lodges, Most only survive on added tourism income.

The CAP subvention money will not cover the cost but the value of these huts, often under generally primitive conditions, are priceless treasures & without the efforts of the farmers this alpine "cultured" landscape would be lost to the wilderness.

For the summer months (June -Sept) very often jobs offered to young people (often single girls) who will live in the huts, milk the cows, make cheese & provide food & drink to passing walkers. A farming background is useful!

So please, when thinking about the EU costs, remember that your skiing holiday is probably only possible thanks to farmers. The EU is more than just the credits & debits in the accounts.
br.de/mediathek/vide…

PS Around 80m Germans will have a problem understanding the speech - The Austrians stand a better chance with the Bavarian which is also in this documentary of two types & not all Bavarians will understand all of it at first.

PPS The 2nd hut in the doc is one used for a couple of oxen & 30 young head of all sorts of different breeds from local sorts to Angus, Belgian Blues & even 2 Japanese from various farmers. The guy says "Unlike some people, the mixed international herd get on very well together"

@NFUStweets & @NFUCountryside will probably understand this tweet better than most - I guess @NFUPolitical could use the very first two lines of the thread!

@threadreaderapp please unroll