According to EU regulations, only those farms located at least 700 meters above sea level may call themselves mountain farmers. Farms up to 500 meters above sea level can also bear this title if their land has an average slope of at least 15 percent. For farms below 500 meters, the slope must be at least 18 percent.
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There are also other characteristics that distinguish the mountain farming method. In addition to their valley farms, many mountain farmers also operate an alpine pasture where cows and young animals graze from spring to autumn. This allows the land near the farm to be used in the summer to harvest winter fodder.
Mountain farms operate sustainably and avoid intensive fertilization and factory farming. They predominantly keep dual-purpose breeds such as Fleckvieh and Pinzgauer. It is important that the local dairy cows are not highly bred "dairy athletes."
The mountain meadows and alpine pastures provide an excellent source of fodder with a wide variety of grasses, herbs, and even medicinal plants. This combination results in mountain farm milk with excellent flavor and valuable nutrients.