In Slovenia, agriculture represents only a small part of the country's economy (2% of GDP vs. 6.7% for France). Most agricultural activities are geared towards self-consumption and there is a majority of small livestock farms. We warn you, Slovenia is a bit like pre-war Brittany in terms of agriculture! 😁
Farming is generally a family affair: parents and children, sometimes added to spouses, work together on the property. Unlike in our country, livestock farming in Slovenia is generally a secondary activity. It often combines with another more profitable activity (full-time employment, catering, hotel business, tourism).
We visited three farms in Slovenia, with two remarkable common points : the diversity of their productions and the "from the farm" valorisation of the products resulting from the breeding.
Aliosha's Farm
We first met Aliosha (Aljosa), who lives on a farm near Tolmin, in the southern part of the Triglav National Park. To get there, we drove 4km on winding road as wide as our van, along a precipice and a certain percentage of hill, to the village of Cardrg. Aliosha works in family with his father, mother, brother and their two wives. They raise 21 dairy cows (Alpine browns, a widespread breed in Slovenia and appreciated for the cheesability of the milk). They make organic cheese "Sir Cardrg".
They also raise 30 goats to maintain the pastures. The young females are used to renew the herd and the young males are sold for meat.
During our visit the farm also had 5 pigs of the autochthonous breed "Krskopolje", for the occasional production of sausages.
The cows are kept in the building during the winter and can go to the mountain pastures from May to October. The farm has two milking parlours (1x6), one in the alpine chalet and one below, on the farm. All the milk is transformed into cheese all year round. The cheeses are matured for a minimum of 2 months, up to 2 years for the strong-tasting ones.
The cheeses are sold partly in a shop on the farm, but also in two supermarkets, in Tolmin and Ljubljana.
At the same time, the family runs a tourist reception with some rentals. While the men are in charge of the breeding activity, the women take care of the "tourism" activity and the sale at the farm.
Stefan's farm
Not far from there, a little further east, we met Stefan, who owns a tourist farm at 1000m altitude that is in the process of being converted to organic farming and a restaurant in the alpine pastures. He works with his parents and sister. On the farm there are cows, sheep, pigs, chickens and bees. The farm is surrounded by 10 hectares of meadow (hay production) and 10 hectares of forest. At the same time, they share 130 hectares of mostly rocky land for the sheep and 40 hectares of alpine pasture for the cows with 6 other landowners (land ownership system widespread in Slovenia).
So we met a bull and a dozen of Cika cows (Slovenian breed) or Simmental cows, raised in buildings for 5 months in winter, then from May in the mountain pastures (with a month of transition on the land around the farm). Here, the cows are not bred for milk, or not very much. For the cows, 2 or 3 are chosen for their good milk production and the conformation of their udder, and remain on the land around the farm to collect the milk (in the old-fashioned way, with a small milking machine). The milk is used to make yoghurt, "saüermilk" (equivalent to fermented milk), some butter and pasteurised cheese, which are sold in their restaurant. For the whole herd, the calves are raised until 6 months for the meat, which is also cooked in the restaurant.
In parallel, 40-50 sheep of the local breed "Jezersko-Solcauske" are raised here for meat, 2-3 pigs in the summer for sausages and meat, 10 hens for eggs, and a few beehives which provide about 20 kg of honey per year. Almost all the products of the farm are used in the restaurant.
Bostjan's farm (the Slovenian Bastien !)
To the east of Ljubljana, we spent a night at Bostjan's farm, he works with his father and mother on a tourist farm, with a restaurant, some accommodation and a campsite.
Despite the health situation, we were welcomed as friends, served regional wine and sold some pig's meat (the pig was killed the day before our arrival).
At Bostjan's, they raise about ten cows for meat (calves), a few goats and 50 chickens for meat as well, a few hens for eggs, and 10 to 20 Hungarian breed "Manguliza" pigs for delicatessen and meat. Everything is sold at the farm restaurant.
Our visits focused on these typical small farms, which give a good insight into the small-scale agricultural activity in the country, but also into the solidity of their businesses, through side activities (catering, direct sales) that ensure a sufficient income for the whole family and for the hiring of labour in high season. In the lowland regions in the east of the country, the farmland is larger and more suitable for growing cereals or potatoes. The country's largest livestock farms can be found here (60 cows on average for dairy farmers). In the plains, many large farms are for sale and often bought by Hungarians.
The pandemic caused by the coronavirus is disrupting the peace of mind of breeders like Aliosha, Stefan and Bostjan, who largely live from tourism in the country. In response to the crisis, this year the Slovenian government has given each adult citizen €200 (€50 for minors) to support the tourism economy.