Farms opt out of Swiss National Day brunch
The number of farms in Switzerland offering a traditional brunch as part of Swiss National Day celebrations has fallen by more than a third since the initiative began.
For 22 years farms across Switzerland have invited members of the public to enjoy a hearty brunch on the morning of August 1st.
Organized by the Swiss Farmers’ Union (SVB) with the aim of bringing producers and consumers together, the initiative allows visitors to sample local produce and specialities prepared by the farm, for a set price of 35 francs.
The event is increasingly popular, with 150,000 people expected to attend a brunch this Friday, triple the number that turned out in 1993, the first year it was offered.
Some brunches attract several hundred people.
But the number of farms offering the meal has dropped from 535 in 1993 to 350 this year, according to newspaper Blick.
“The number of farms offering the brunch has fallen constantly for several years,” Sandra Helfenstein, spokesperson for the Swiss Farmers’ Union, told the newspaper.
Some farms are tired of doing it, she explained, while others feel they have already offered enough.
The pressure of offering such an event during an already busy time for farms is another factor, she added.
And staging a brunch doesn’t earn the farm much money – on average between 1,000 and 2,500 francs, estimated Helfenstein.
To combat the decline the SVB is instigating a pilot project for 2015.
The Union will encourage more farms to take part but on a much smaller scale, catering for around 20 people each, rather than hundreds.
For details of brunches around Switzerland visit brunch.ch
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For 22 years farms across Switzerland have invited members of the public to enjoy a hearty brunch on the morning of August 1st.
Organized by the Swiss Farmers’ Union (SVB) with the aim of bringing producers and consumers together, the initiative allows visitors to sample local produce and specialities prepared by the farm, for a set price of 35 francs.
The event is increasingly popular, with 150,000 people expected to attend a brunch this Friday, triple the number that turned out in 1993, the first year it was offered.
Some brunches attract several hundred people.
But the number of farms offering the meal has dropped from 535 in 1993 to 350 this year, according to newspaper Blick.
“The number of farms offering the brunch has fallen constantly for several years,” Sandra Helfenstein, spokesperson for the Swiss Farmers’ Union, told the newspaper.
Some farms are tired of doing it, she explained, while others feel they have already offered enough.
The pressure of offering such an event during an already busy time for farms is another factor, she added.
And staging a brunch doesn’t earn the farm much money – on average between 1,000 and 2,500 francs, estimated Helfenstein.
To combat the decline the SVB is instigating a pilot project for 2015.
The Union will encourage more farms to take part but on a much smaller scale, catering for around 20 people each, rather than hundreds.
For details of brunches around Switzerland visit brunch.ch
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