ETHICAL FARMING, ÜBERSAXEN, AUSTRIA
BY MARKUS GMEINER UND KARIN FALTEJSEK
SIEGLINDE UND CHRISTIAN BREUSS ARE CONVINCED THIS IS A CONCEPT FOR THE FUTURE.
THEY RUN A SMALL ORGANIC FARM WITH BRESSE-GAULOISE, QUINEAFOWLS AND PATRIDGES, THREE DIFFERENT KIND OF CHICKEN, PEKINS, A KIND OF DUCK, AND CHARLAIS CATTLE.
ALL THIS HAPPENS IN CYCLES TO ENSURE THERE IS ENOUGH SPACE AVAILABLE FOR EACH BREED AND EACH BREED GETS THE ATTENTION THEY NEED. THE ANIMALS ARE FED WITH ORGANIC FEED OF THE HIGHEST QUALITY AND GET TO LIVE A NATURAL LIFE.
THE BREUSSES AREN’T PRESSED FOR TIME AS THEY AREN’T AFTER PROFIT AND HAVE CALCULATED EXACTLY WHAT THEY NEED TO SURVIVE WITH THEIR FARM. THIS IS TWOFOLD. UNLIKE WHAT IS STANDARD PRACTICE IN MANY PLACES, THE ANIMALS ON THEIR FARM AREN’T FED ANYTHING UNNATURAL LIKE GROWTH HORMONES OR ANTIBIOTICS IN ORDER TO PROVIDE AS MUCH MEAT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. INSTEAD THEY CAN NATURALLY GROW TO ATTAIN THE RIGHT SIZE AND AGE FOR SLAUGHTER, WHICH IN TURN MEANS THE MEAT IS OF HIGHEST QUALITY. SECOND, THEY ONLY CHARGE FAIR PRICES THAT COVER THE EXPENSES THEY HAD RAISING THE ANIMALS AND TO MAKE ENOUGH TO LIVE A HUMBLE LIFE. THIS MEANS MORE PEOPLE CAN AFFORD TO BUY THEIR PRODUCTS.
THE ANIMALS WELL-BEING IS OF SUCH IMPORTANCE, THAT SIEGLINDE AND CHRISTIAN STARTED TO SLAUGHTER THEIR POULTRY THEMSELVES RIGHT ON THEIR FARM. THIS IS DONE IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS WHILE IT IS STILL DARK, TO ENSURE THE ANIMALS ARE STRESS FREE IN THEIR LAST MOMENTS AND HAVE A MERCIFUL, HUMANE DEATH. THEY FOLLOW THE HIGHEST HYGIENE STANDARDS AND TEST THE MEAT TO AN EVEN HIGHER LEVEL THAN REQUIRED.
THE CATTLE IS SLAUGHTERED IN A SLAUGHTERHOUSE BUT BEFORE TRANSPORTATION THEY ARE TREATED HOMOEOPATHICALLY, WHICH HAS PROVEN TO MAKE THE ANIMALS MUCH MORE RELAXED AND COMORTABLE ON THEIR WAY THERE.
SIEGLINDE UND CHRISTIAN BREUSS, ARE HUMBLE AND HONEST PEOPLE, WHO DO WHAT THEY DO OUT OF CONVICTION. THEY ARE OF THE OPINION THAT LEADING A SUSTAINABLE LIFE AND RUNNING THEIR FARM THAT WAY TOO, IS THE RIGHT WAY INTO THE FUTURE. WE TOLD THEM ABOUT OUR QUEST TO FIND ANSWERS TO THE QUESTION, HOW WE CAN POSSIBLY FEED 10 BILLION PEOPLE BY 2050. ACCORDING TO THEM, THE PROBLEM FOR THE FUTURE WON’T BE FOOD SHORTAGE, BUT THAT MOST OF THE FOOD INDUSTRY IS ABOUT PROFIT. MAJORITY OF FOOD IS PRODUCED UNSUSTAINABLY, WHICH ISN’T ONLY BAD FOR OUR PLANET, BUT ALSO DECREASES THE QUALITY OF FOOD. THIS IN TURN MEANS THAT WE NEED TO CONSUME MORE FOOD TO GET THE NECESSARY NUTRIENTS. ON THE OTHER HAND ROUGHLY ONE THIRD OF FOOD PRODUCED WORLDWIDE IS THROWN AWAY OR WASTED, FOR EXAMPLE BECAUSE IT CAN’T BE SOLD IN STORES.
FOR THESE REASONS, GROWING THEIR FARM FOR PROFIT WAS NEVER SIEGLINDE AND CHRISTIAN AMBITION. THEY JUST WANT TO BE ABLE TO LIVE THEIR LIVES FOLLOWING THEIR ETHICS AND PRINCIPALS. BACK TO OUR ROOTS INTO THE FUTURE.
