Photo: BMLFUW/Rita Newman
Mühlviertler Alm Weidegans
Record Number: 109
Disclosure Date
There is a long tradition of goose keeping in the Mühlviertel (Milling Quarter). Reports of eating goose in Upper Austria date back to the 17th century.
Photo: BMLFUW/A...
Mühlviertler Alm Weidegans
(Free-range goose raised on the Mühlviertel pastures)
Abstract or claim
Resumption of the centuries-old tradition of free-range goose keeping on pastures in a natural, stress-free way in compliance with animal welfare in the Upper Austrian Mühlviertel.
The meat from free-range geese is very tasty and characterised by its low fat content, fine-grained texture, dark colour and juiciness.
Free-range goose keeping significantly contributes to the preservation of the cultural landscape of the Mühlviertel. Meadows that had hardly been cultivated are now extensively utilised and cared for.
Name of product, Product class
Goose meat, meat products
Name of region
Mühlviertler Alm, Mühlviertel, Upper Austria, Austria
Field of search
Food and agriculture
Name of information provider
Mr. Klaus Preining
Managing director of the Mühlviertler Alm Association
Name of applicant for title
---
Holder of knowledge or associated resources
8 small-scale farms in the Mühlviertel
Grantee(s), holder(s), assignee(s) or owner(s) of title, if any
---
Descriptors
- History:
The ancient Greeks, Romans and Germanic tribes kept geese as domestic animals for their meat and feathers.
Many stories have developed around this bird, from the legend of St Martin to the Roman geese that were used as guard animals.
In the Middle Ages, the Landgans, a descendant of the grey goose on the farms in Central Europe, was a popular and widely kept type of poultry.
Goose keeping in the Mühlviertel:
There is a long tradition of goose keeping in the Mühlviertel (Milling Quarter).
The rules concerning meals that were followed in monasteries dictated how many dishes were to be served on all feast days of the liturgical year. Most of the time, the feast meals were sumptuous. For example, the list of dishes of the Mondsee monastery in Upper Austria indicates that 129 geese were served along with other dishes on the feast day of St Martin in 1632.
Over centuries, the geese were kept on farms as secondary livestock and their primary purpose was to provide down for pillows and blankets. It was only much later that people came to appreciate goose meat as a delicacy for special occasions.
Every year until 1914, Bohemian shepherds drove large flocks of geese to the Mühlviertel in order to sell them there.
Despite a centuries-long tradition, geese started to disappear from Upper Austrian farms in the 1950s and are hardly kept there today. Due to a structural change in agriculture, major parts of the habitat necessary for these animals were destroyed. In addition, young female farmers no longer valued producing goose down on their own farms.
It was not until 1992 that goose keeping was taken up again on the Mühlviertler Alm and that the project “Österreichische Weidegans” (Austrian free-range goose) was started. Today it consists of a total of nine regional free-range goose project groups in Upper Austria, Lower Austria, Burgenland Südburgenländische Weidegans, Carinthia, Salzburg and Vorarlberg. The project’s objective is to ensure that consumers and the restaurant and catering trade are supplied with fresh, regionally produced free-range goose. At least one project group exists in all Austrian provinces; some have several.
In 1992, the project “Mühlviertler Weidegans” was started on the initiative of the Chamber of Agriculture of Upper Austria and the Freistadt District Chamber of Agriculture. Since then, the production of free-range geese has increased continuously.
In 2006, the designation “Weidegans” was registered as a word/picture trademark.
On St Martin’s Day (Martini on 11 November), a large meal with Martini goose and Martini doughnuts or roast pork is served in the Mühlviertel (St Martin is also worshipped as the patron saint of pigs). Roast goose or pork and doughnuts served together are also called “Martiniloben” (St Martin be praised).
Goose blood was often processed into “Ganslblut” and used to garnish boiled meat or was eaten with potatoes and sauerkraut.
- Region:
Photo: BMLFUW/Rita Newman
Its name comes from the rivers Große Mühl, Kleine Mühl and Steinerne Mühl. The Haselgraben divides the Mühlviertel into the upper (western) and lower (eastern) Mühlviertel.
Today, the Mühlviertel includes the four districts of Perg, Freistadt, Rohrbach and Urfahr-Umgebung. With its 3080 km² it covers 25.7 % of the total area of Upper Austria (11980 m²).
Its borders are defined in the east by the Lower Austrian Waldviertel region, in the south by the Danube, in the west by Bavaria, and in the north by Bohemia.
River valleys with deep ravines at their confluence with the Danube (Mühlsenke, Haselgraben and upper Rodltal valley and Feldaistsenke depressions) divide up the area of the Mühlviertel. The region just to the south of the Danube consists of three areas which from west to east are called Passauer, Linzer and Greiner Wald. The peneplain, which is deeply intersected by Danube tributaries and about 500 m high at its southern edge, rises in large steps up to over 800 m in the north. It merges into the elevation bulge (Bohemian Forest, Plöckenstein mountain 1,379 m), the main European water shed and the Czech border.
Geologically speaking, the Mühlviertel is the oldest area of Upper Austria and belongs to the Bohemian Massif (Austrian Granite Plateau).
Climate:
The Mühlviertel lies in the climatic transition zone between the Atlantic and the Continental climate zones (Central European transition climate).
Mild summers with cool nights and harsh winters as well as evenly distributed rainfall and high humidity are typical of the region.
In the Central Mühlviertel, the annual average precipitation is about 700 - 800 mm; in high altitude areas it is 1200 mm.
The annual average temperature is 7 to 8 °C.
The average temperature is -2 to -3 °C in January and 16 to 18 °C in July.
Flora:
The flora in the Mühlviertel is conditioned by its soil and climatic conditions and characterised by a diversity of plants, such as the alpine snowbell (Soldanella montana), foxglove (Digitalis purpurea), red clover (Trifolium pratense), common yarrow (Achillea millefolium) and rough hawkbit (Leontodon hispidus).
Habitat:
The pastures for the keeping of Mühlviertler Alm free-range geese are located about 400 to 1000 metres above sea level.
The main goose keeping areas in the Mühlviertel are the municipalities of Pierbach, Königswiesen, Mönchdorf, Liebenau, Bad Zell, St. Leonhard, and Schönau.
Apart from Upper Austria, free-range geese are kept in Lower Austria, Southern Burgenland, Salzburg, and Carinthia.
- General information on geese:
Geese (Anserinae) belong to the waterfowl family and can be roughly subdivided into wild geese and domestic geese.
The ancestor of our domestic goose is the wild goose, or grey goose. Due to their high weight and rudimentary wings and feathers, most domestic geese have lost their ability to fly.
The feathers of the domestic goose are white. Male and female geese cannot be distinguished by their external characteristics. Around July, the geese start to moult: This means that they gradually grow new plumage.
Geese become sexually mature at the age of 10 to 12 months and can lay 50 to 60 eggs per year.
Geese are the only poultry that can properly digest pasture grass, which makes them perfectly suited for grassland areas.
Goose keeping is seen not only as a means for supplementing farm income but also as a means for preserving the landscape.
- Mühlviertler Alm Weidegans:
Photo: BMLFUW/Rita Newman
Currently, 13 farms produce about 1500 geese in the Mühlviertel per year.
Mühlviertler Alm free-range geese are jointly purchased by the farmers as goslings (at the age of a few days or not older than 1 week) from the same parent geese flock in the Hausruck region in Upper Austria.
About 70 % of the Mühlviertler Alm free-range geese are kept on conventional farms. About 30 % are kept on farms that follow organic guidelines.
There are about 2000 geese being kept in the region today. The number of animals per farm strongly fluctuates and ranges from 500 to 20 animals.
Goose keeping allows farms with smaller milk contingents, farms with an existing direct marketing structure, farms offering farm holidays, and/or farms with surplus grassland areas to supplement their income.
The Mühlviertler Alm can already meet more than 90 % of the region’s demand for goose meat.
Goose keeping:
Free-range geese are kept extensively in as natural environment as possible. The stocking density is limited to only 80 - 100 geese per hectare.
Being able to move about freely, healthy feed and careful fattening result in low fat content and fine-grained meat.
In May, the animals are put into a warm pen with lots of straw and are carefully brooded there. At the age of two to three weeks, they are fed on the green meadows and pastures. After eight weeks, the animals have a full coat and are resistant to bad weather. From now on, they will be on the pasture during the day and in the pen at night to protect them from predators.
Feeding:
The main feed is fresh grass from the lush pastures. The geese also receive cereals (oats, barley etc.) early in the morning and in the evening.
Only farm-grown or Austrian cereals may be provided as supplemental feed; oats, barley, triticale or rye are preferred. The feeding of residues from pressing or processing, such as oil cake, potato pulp or spent grain, is not permitted.
High-energy feed such as maize and wheat should be avoided since they make the geese too fat.
Fattening:
In the final fattening phase (starting around the end of September), the daily amount of cereals can be raised to 200 or 250 grams (during fattening on grass: 100 to 150 grams per animal). The actual amount depends on the animal's stage of development. In the final fattening phase, the share of maize in the mixture may not exceed 25 %.
The final fattening phase is also completed outdoors.
Mühlviertler Alm free-range geese are kept on the pastures during the day either until they are slaughtered or until November.
Slaughtering:
The geese are slaughtered from the end of October to Christmas at a slaughter weight of about 4 kg and at an age of about 26 months.
All female and male geese in the pens are slaughtered and no breeding females are kept through the winter.
The animals are slaughtered and processed at small farmers’ cooperatives in the region.
Short transport distances minimise stress and guarantee higher meat quality.
While geese under intensive fattening conditions are ready to be served within 13 weeks, free-range geese must be raised for up to at least 26 weeks. This guarantees the supreme quality of the meat.
After being slaughtered, the geese are bled and plucked. The meat is then cut up and vacuum packed.
All steps of the process from slaughtering to vacuum packing are cooperatively carried out by the farmers on each of their farms.
Meat description:
Goose meat coming from geese raised on pastures is a dark, fibrous meat, low in fat and excellent in taste.
The animals are kept on pastures of juicy grass, which results in a slow fattening process that results in the juice remaining inside the meat during roasting. The animals have a very thin layer of fat that constantly releases juice and flavour to the meat fibres when roasted. The meat of free-range geese does not lose much juice during roasting. After roasting, about 3.2 kg of holiday roast remain from the 4 kg free-range goose while it is only 2.4 kg of meat from a cheap frozen goose that was fattened.
Quality control:
The minimum requirements for the keeping of poultry are laid down in detail in the Federal Law Gazette II No. 485/2004, 1st Animal Keeping Regulation, appendix 6. According to the Austrian Federal Act on the Protection of Animals, domestic geese must be granted access to the outdoors. It is not permitted to keep the geese in a pen all the time. In addition, the geese must be kept on straw in their pen. Force-feeding of geese to produce foie gras is prohibited by law.
The geese are kept in accordance with the production guidelines of the organisation "Österreichische Weidegans".
Once a year, the farms are monitored by a poultry specialist for compliance with animal welfare regulations.
All members of “Österreichische Weidegans” must have their geese tested for salmonella. The tests are conducted by the organisation’s veterinarians. In exceptional cases, non-poultry veterinarians can also conduct the examination.
Organic farms are also checked once a year by certified authorities.
Proof of origin:
Geese are not marked because they are sold to the final purchaser by the producers themselves. Thus, the proof of origin is established by the personal contact between producer and consumer.
- Marketing:
Mühlviertler Alm free-range geese are in season from September to Christmas.
They are sold by the geese farmers directly on their farms or marketed via the regional restaurant and catering trade.
Connection with the geographical area and traditional knowledge
The rich local flora that is a result of special soil and climatic conditions in the Mühlviertel region enables the extensive keeping of geese on pastures.
- Typical keeping systems: Extensive geese keeping on pastures during
the growing season.
- In harmony with the native soil: The geese are fed pasture grasses and
locally grown cereals.
- Thanks to this pasture management, goose meat with a characteristic
texture can be produced.
- The rearing of Mühlviertler Alm Weidegans is the result of traditional
knowledge which has been passed on from generation to generation:
Traditional knowledge of and experience in animal husbandry (adapting the
keeping of the flocks to environmental conditions, know-how of the farmers,
method of free-range goose meat production, art of natural fattening, goose
keeping on pastures), know-how of the butchers (animal transport,
experience in slaughtering and cutting up meat, meat maturing), and the
experience of the “Österreichische Weidegans” organisation.
- Utilisation:
Photo: BMLFUW/Rita Newman
Goose meat is eaten in a variety of traditional dishes on St Martin’s Day on 11 November. Martinigansl (Martini roast goose) is traditionally served with red cabbage and potato dumplings.
Photo: BMLFUW/Rita Newman
- Protection:
“Weidegans” word/picture trademark (Austrian Patent Office, registry no. 230061, 16 February 2006). The Provincial Association of Agricultural Poultry Industry in Upper Austria (LCG) is the owner of the trademark.
Key Words
Food and agriculture, traditional knowledge, Austria, Upper Austria, region, Mühlviertel, goose keeping, goose, geese, Anser anser f. domestica (L.)
Bibliography / References
- BERTLWIESER,F. Agrarstrukturwandel im oberen Mühlviertel, Oberösterreichische
Heimatblätter, 46. Jahrgang, 1992, Heft 1, S. 20-33
http://www.ooegeschichte.at/uploads/tx_iafbibliografiedb/hbl1992_1_20-33.pdf
- Das Mühlviertel
http://www.asm-ksl.it/angebote/lehrmaterialien/Boehmerwald/Einfuehrung.htm
- Die „Mühlviertler Alm“ im Nordosten von Oberösterreich
http://austria-direkt.at/bl4/ur87.php
- Gans, Hausgans, zool.: Anserinae, fr.: oie, oison, en.: goose, it.: oca,
es.: ganso, oca
http://www.lebensmittellesxikon.de/g0000360.php
- Genussregion Mühlviertler Alm Weidegans
http://www.genussland.at/produkte/produzenten/detail/937976/genussregion-muehlviertler-alm-weidegans.html
- Hausgans
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hausgans
- Hausgans
http://www.world-of-animals.de/Tierlexikon/Tierart_Hausgans.htm
- Hausgans-Graugans
http://www.kindernetz.de/oli/tierlexikon/hausgans-graugans/-/id=74986/nid=74986/did=84650/1irxjd3/index.html
- Heimischer Artenreichtum
http://www.linz.at/Umwelt/4444.asp
- HOFBAUER, M. VEGETATIONSAUFNAHMEN DER ANMOORIGEN WIESEN BEI
KIRCHSCHLAG IM MÜHLVIERTEL, Oberösterreichischer Musealverein,
Gesellschaft für Landeskunde, Band 126/1, Linz, 1981, S. 253-261
- Klimainformation Mühlviertel
http://www.tiscover.at/at/guide/5,de,SCH1/objectId,RGN105759at,curr,EUR,parentId,RGN105759at,season,at2,selBlk,CURRWEATHERBLOCK,selElem,5,selectedEntry,home/climate.html
- Klimatographie von Österreich
www.boku.ac.at/imp/education/Klima-c/STKAP4CO.DOC
- MAIER-BRUCK F. Vom Essen auf dem Lande, 2. Auflage, Verlag
Kremayr & Scheriau, Wien, 1995, S. 255f.
- Mühlviertel
http://www.alpen-guide.de/reisefuehrer/region/muehlviertler-kernland
- Mühlviertel
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%BChlviertel
- Mühlviertel
http://aeiou.iicm.tugraz.at/aeiou.encyclop.m/m891719.htm
- Mühlviertel
http://www.quaeldich.de/regionen/muehlviertel/
- Mühlviertler Alm Weidegans
http://www.genuss-region.at/article/archive/14375
- Mühlviertler Weidegans und Almochs
http://www.liebenau.ooe.gv.at/system/web/sonderseite.aspx?menuonr=219190400&detailonr=219190400
- Österreichsiche Weidegans
www.weidegans.at
- Wirtschafts- und Arbeitsraum Mühlviertler Alm
http://muehlviertleralm.at/at/front_content.php
- Landgänse
http://www.nbwikis.at/archepedia/index.php?title=Landg%C3%A4nse
- Feiern wie die Feste fallen
http://www.ooegeschichte.at/Feste_feiern.1164.0.html
- Kulinarische Notizen zur Einführung
http://www.ooegeschichte.at/Kulinarische_Notizen.1141.0.html
All internet references last accessed on 12 November 2009.
Language Code
German
Product of www.genuss-region.at
Yes
Regional contact
Verband Mühlviertler Alm
Business leader Klaus Preining
Markt 19
4273 Unterweissenbach
Phone: 07956/7304-0
Fax: 07956/7304-4
E-mail: k.preining@muehlviertleralm.at
www.muehlviertleralm.at
Authors: Doris Reinthaler, Eva Sommer, Erhard Höbaus
20.10.2011, Lebensministerium III/4