[renee]

Farming communities have always been dependant on their livestock. This is no different in central Sweden where I live. Summers are short and intense and the most has to be made of the luscious summer grass. Barley, potatoes and vegetables were grown in the villages so the women and children took the livestock up to the summer pastures. There they made cheese and butter and  collected berries and fungi for the winter months. The day of the "exodus" was a day of excitement and festivity everyone took part in the buföring.
How things have changed. On Friday my neighbour had to ta ke 25 cows up to the summer grazing. I and a friend from Denmark helped him. He put a bell on the lead cow and a bell around his own shouldres and led the way 5 miles gently up hill. The cows are old and know the way so the walk was a pleasant meander.
They are kept in a little enclosure at night but are allowed to roam for miles during the day. At first they stay around the small huts but as the grass gets scarse they wander further afield. 100 years ago   when there was a lot of livestock, the villagers moved up to another fäbod 6 miles further up the mountain after a month so as to ease the pressure on the grazing.
  But now there are only 25, the small houses are empty and the hills echo of -silence.

[Treud na Mara]

Thank you for the lovely pictures and insight into a way of life that looks like it is disappearing. Something tells me that with increasing climate change, the time will come again for this to be an important factor in food production.

[Mammyshaz]

Beautiful piccies. I agree with TnM the world, or certainly uk, seem to reverting back to nature and the ways of the ancestors. There are more and more people working with nature and going with the seasons.

The area looks so calm and relaxing, enjoy your summer 

[Lesley Silvester]

That was fascinating, Renee. Love the photos too.

[chrismahon]

It looks a very beautiful place Renee. The traditional ways have long since gone here as well. Small farms are now swallowed up by big farms and lots of places are empty. Problem here is the woodland is disappearing for firewood. Half of what was here in 1996 has been chopped down and the land taken for crops.

[renee]

Yes, I read that a whole village in Italy had been put up for sale on e.bay Here there are no farms to take over the land so it just turns back to shrub and again forest. The real forests are "farmed" There are laws about how much timber one can take out. It also has to be re-planted within three years.
 I hav all the grazing I need and much more for my flock of sheep.
Also, when they take down the evergreens there is lots of smashed birch so I also have plenty of firewood as no-body wants it.

[Bionic]

It looks lovely and the old ways are so interesting. Let's hope it stays that way 

[Bramblecot]

Thank you for sharing.  It's a way of life that has all but gone, sadly.