The Team is ready - The Meadow is not!

What's happening on Alp Maran? In some areas of Switzerland, transhumance already began. Alp Maran is a bit behind. See what Walter Niklaus, master cheese maker from Alp Maran, has to report:

On Alp Maran in the ski station of Arosa the summer will have a late appearance. In the last week of May it snowed again. It will take time and warm weather until the meadows are ready.

However we are all busy. Just before the first June weekend we started to produce Mutschli, Camembert, Yoghurt and Quark with milk form Langwies. This week Jürg has his final apprenticeship exam, that means we clean everything meticulously. I’m not worried that he isn’t successful: At the cheesemaker championship of eastern Switzerland he came in 3rd!

On a staff level not much will change. Jürg will stay with us until next spring. Sebastian as well has finished his apprenticeship in Schlins in Austria and will be on the team. Kifle, our new apprentice, comes from Eritrea. Two years ago he spent the summer with us and did a really good job.

Master cheesemaker Walter Niklaus (far right) and his team.

We will produce about 4000 kg (8800 lbs) of Alp butter this year. So we are grateful that retired “butter master” Arnold again will come to help for two weeks.

And there is one more staff member: The robot in the cellar. With the aged cheeses he is wonderful in brushing and turning them. We will see how it works with the fresh ones.

Of the 6500 wheels we produced last summer only 300 are left. That’s not much considering transhumance will start late this year. Walter Niklaus