Felsbrocken, a rock – that holds the promise of solid strength, a reliable footing, a grip on reality… in short all that stuff we need right now, badly. Therefore: a rock, in form of a cheese, for this troubled, dark month, from a farm I only quite recently learnt more about and which represents a real ray of hope: Heggelbach.

It’s hidden away in a quiet spot, overlooking the Alps, only a few kilometres away from the shores of Lake Constance, at its northwest end, near Herdwangen (I hadn’t heard of that small town either, Überlingen isn’t far away). Heggelbach is Demeter-certified and actually a farm community of six families, founded in 1987. There are sheep, chickens, pigs, vegetables – and cows. Around 50 of them, beautiful brown cattle with long, curved horns. Those proud animals live on – and that is really and truly exceptional – on grass, clover and hay. Exclusively. No silage, no concentrated feed, no cereals of any kind. Nevertheless, they produce a decent amount of milk – and what a milk that is! Perhaps that’s the reason why all and everyone I encountered on the farm, were noticeably relaxed and cheerful (another exception to the rules of farming reality).