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About DELEG:

DELEG stands for "Deutschnonsberger & Ultentaler Agricultural Producers’ Cooperative". It is an association of more than 180 mountain farmers who mainly practice small-scale mountain agriculture in the Deutschnonsberg and Ultental valleys and market their products locally under the brands “LaugenRind” and “deleg-GutesBontà”.
In times of increasing global connectivity, proximity, origin and tradition are becoming ever more important for people who consciously choose what they put on their table and who value local producers and high quality standards. DELEG acts as a hub for regional products, bringing together producers from the surrounding valleys and providing new impulses for small local economic cycles.

Production and marketing are based on three main pillars:

• LaugenRind: This DELEG project guarantees ethical animal husbandry, fair producer prices and certified quality for regional fresh meat and refined gourmet products. Genuine LaugenRind cattle must be born in the wider area around Mount Laugen (2,434 m) and spend the summer months grazing on alpine pastures.
• deleg-GutesBontà: The brand for flavourful fruit, vegetables, berries, cereals, milk and honey, as well as refined products made from these regional ingredients.
• Winter Radicchio & Dandelion Project: For many years, mountain farmers in Deutschnonsberg have recognised the favourable climate for growing winter radicchio “Radicchio Tardivo di Treviso” and have developed the production of this highly valued speciality into a unique feature of South Tyrol. Dandelion has also played an important role in Deutschnonsberg for many years as a key ingredient of the culinary festival “Dandelion Weeks”. It inspired DELEG farmers to create the deleg dandelion syrup “Heni” and other speciality products such as deleg dandelion capers (dandelion buds).

Direct sales points are located at the Merano Market and at the new sales location in Lana, where delicious local products from the region’s mountain farmers are offered: from fruit and vegetables to salads, meat (LaugenRind), fruit spreads, cheeses, syrups, schnapps, salts, herbal teas and many more.
Ethical Banking visited three different DELEG partner farms: Sebastian Mairhofer (vegetable cultivation), Andreas Ungerer (LaugenRind) and Martin Geiser (berry cultivation and LaugenRind).

The funded project

With the support of 50,000€ in Ethical Banking financing, the new furnishings for the shop in Lana were purchased.