Keeping ancient hay making tradition alive

The cantonal authorities in Uri, central Switzerland are trying to keep the tradition of hay making alive, because the hay not only provides winter fodder for livestock, but growing grass for hay in the high mountains encourages biodiversity and stops the pastures returning to forests. The canton organises an annual course for would-be haymakers. swissinfo joined the students on their adventure. (Julie Hunt, swissinfo.ch 01.10.2009)

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• hay
• Switzerland
• Uri
• tradition
• custom
• biodiversity
• subsidies
• farmer
• haymaking
• haymaking in switzerland hay
• making 1929
• haymaking in switzerland
• swissinfo
• hay making
• growing hay

[romain793]

This zip line system is impressive and I must say, kinda funny...!

[MrJohndeeredave]

health and safety would have a spaz atack if they started doing that in britain

[PaganPantherPriest]

She's solding her scythe backwards o.o and none of them i think have propped thechnique when moving... I don't think their instructor did either D;

[mallarchy]

You need to set up the zip line so the it goes straight in to the barn... At 30 mph, cool!!!

[donyunger]

I thought they needed a string of pack mules, but hey I guess the zip line works well.

[Crunchy68]

Impressive!

[fannybaba]

aghtung! hay.

[tscholent]

I can tell you that the flies in the summer were bent on getting our hides and if his back is anything like mine now (I'm sixty) he popps a ton of advil to kill the pain.Long story short...it was't all fun and games but watching these clips it sure brings tears to my eyes...

[tscholent]

dought they had a cable loader 50 years ago or before but when I was ten my uncles helper (Knecht) would lay down a hefty rope , double up on it and tie a five hundred pound load (in hot wheather a large cotton cloth was added). Then we (me and another kid (summer chind) would help the "big ochs" to pull it to the so called "schneise" where the terrain was steep.Then the helper would glide down to the "gade" where the hay got stored for the goats or the cows...

[HomesteadDudmanovi]

I love the ending part,sending the hay of down the wire :)