Where the goose is getting fat – naturally

A programme promoting free-range geese could make roast goose – a popular dish elsewhere in Europe – a more common Christmas meal in Switzerland.  A honking noise penetrates the morning fog in the Lucerne countryside – not an impatient driver, but a gaggle of geese. One of them has found an apple, and it’s causing some excitement at the Schulerhof farm in in the village of Grosswangen.  The animals are part of a free-range programme promising better lives for them, and better meat for consumers. Farmer Beat Wüest, a cheerful man with three school-age children, chuckles while observing his big white birds.  “There’s always something going on when they’re outside – always something to see,” Wüest tells swissinfo.ch. This is his second year raising geese, and he’s had to improvise somewhat. The drinking troughs are made of sturdy plastic pipes, and there are wooden ramps leading to miniature swimming pools. But while the troughs are popular, the pools are seldom used.  ...