The Eldorado for insects
Today, half of the more than 700 wild bee species that live here are threatened. Butterflies are also increasingly endangered: Of the approx. 4.000 native butterfly species, all butterflies and the 800 most important moth species are on red lists. Why we have to protect the territory of Maya the Bee and Co. with hay milk meadows
If you look at the meadows in some places these days, all you see is green. "Green is good," you might think. But keep in mind that meadows that are good for insects and the environment are colorful. Such meadows are called, among other things, poor meadows.
And what does that have to do with hay milk? A lot even.
Bees and other insects need a large variety of species. Up to 1 different herbs and grasses grow on meadows that are mowed less, as is the case with hay farming. A maximum of five to six types of grass grow on a heavily fertilized so-called fat meadow and you usually look in vain for flowers there.
So green is good, but colorful is better!
What do the following grasses and herbs have in common?
The real bedstraw. The big burnet. The bird vetch. They all grow on hay milk meadows. Also the Carthusian carnation. The cows don't like to eat this flower very much, but it is very important for butterflies.
In order to maintain species richness, correspondingly sustainable management is necessary. Hay milk farming promotes a large variety of species. Two reasons are particularly important for this:
- Different mowing times: Everything has it's time. This is why hay milk farmers let their meadows mature properly and only mow when a variety of grasses and herbs are in full bloom. Animals and insects have space to hide and always find something to eat. In technical jargon, one speaks of mosaic-like management, because the mowing times are staggered in time and distributed differently over the areas. The farmers accept that they have one or two fewer cuts per summer.
- Blackout Protection: blackout? What is that supposed to be, many people ask themselves. Imagine if the forest could spread unhindered and the paths would overgrow. This is what is meant by blackout. The farmers make sure that doesn't happen, with hay milk farmers cultivating three times as much meadow and grassland as conventional agriculture because they mow less often. And more meadows and green spaces mean more biodiversity. The greater the biodiversity, the more stable the ecosystem is and the better it can respond to changes such as climate change.
Did you know that a single cow keeps more than half a hectare of grassland free? That's about the size of a soccer field!
Hay farming promotes biodiversity
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In addition to biodiversity, hay milk farming generally contributes to protecting the environment:
- hay milk farming protects against environmental disasters: Biodiversity creates a deep-rooted carpet of grass. This prevents landslides, mudslides and avalanches.
- hay milk farming promotes the formation of humus, Humus in the soil is a very good storage medium for carbon dioxide, which would otherwise escape into the earth's atmosphere. In addition, humus-rich soils store more water and can therefore survive longer periods of drought.
- hay milk farming uses less water than industrialized agriculture by two-thirds less.
Among other things, a study at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna came to these conclusions in 2014. The results of the study were presented in a "sustainability primer" summarized. LINK: Download here!
But what do I, as a consumer, get directly from it when a meadow trefoil grows on a hay milk meadow or the kidney vetch blooms? Very easily:
The more different grasses and herbs a cow eats, the better the quality and flavor of the milk and thus of the cheese products!
Numerous taste tests and blind tastings come to this conclusion. Woerle farmer Wolfgang Eibl is also of the opinion that only the large variety of grasses and herbs results in a product that tastes like everything. Or to put it another way: What the cow eats, the human tastes in the milk.
And finally ... Hay farming promotes biodiversity and thus contributes to environmental protection. We humans benefit from this most original form of agriculture and enjoy tasty milk and dairy products.
