A meadow blooming underfoot, a beautiful view of the surrounding hills. The clouds roll lazily in the valley and the sheep bells can be heard far away. Behind them, a shepherd walks with his dog. On the Agrospol Hradová farm in Tisovec we find many views so typical of the Slovak countryside. But how much work is hidden behind all this is often hard to imagine for the layman.

Farmer Denis Komjaty farms in a beautiful, but also harsh region in the close vicinity of the Muránska Planina National Park. Right on the farm you can buy bryndza, žinčica, as well as excellent sheep’s cheese. Once a year, people from the surrounding area come to buy lambs, and there are also trout for sale all year round, reared right on the premises.

The Agrospol Hradová farm has been farming here since 1997. They have gone through various changes on their farming journey, starting with cows but gradually moving on to sheep farming and processing milk into finished products. The land and its care are in their blood, so they don’t give up, even though economically the business is more challenging in these parts.

There are a number of grikes and grike fields in the pastures. These are very interesting karst formations that will delight the eye of many nature lovers. Rare species of plants and animals are often found in their vicinity, which is why they are also of great importance for biodiversity and practical nature conservation. In the past, it was man’s life in the countryside, farming and sheep farming that helped to maintain the non-forest vegetation and, thanks to it, the richness of species and diversity of life. This is no different today, thanks to local farmers.

However, the maintenance of grazing land with grikes is even more difficult than elsewhere due to the many stones near the soil surface, and the removal of self-seeding trees can only be done manually. Moreover, paradoxically, such areas are often exempt from subsidies and are therefore a net loss for the farmer from an economic point of view. Fortunately, in Tisovec there has been successful cooperation between local farmers and conservationists for years. Together they released ground squirrels here a few years ago, which like it here thanks to the adaptation of grazing to their requirements. Along with the sheep, there are also a few donkeys, which both keep the grass low, but also help the farmers protect the sheep from predators. As the nature around Tisovec is rich, there is also a population of bears and wolves. The locals also adapt their farming to this fact. According to the farmer, the donkey guards the herd and can make a lot of noise when a predator approaches. Sheepdogs are also commonplace.

Also on a local farm, officials recently removed areas with grikes from subsidies. An appeal and a large population of ground squirrels helped here, and the farmer did not lose the subsidies in the end. It was the LIFE Syseľ project, thanks to which several fences were built here, that brought multiple benefits to the farmer.

This example also shows that there is room for improvement in the common agricultural policy so that it serves the good of the country and the people who work in it. We, as consumers, can also do our part. If we can appreciate the work of human hands, we will support farmers who graze their animals freely and thus help to preserve the diversity and beauty of the Slovak landscape.