The large red-and-white cattle grazing the steep slopes of the Simmental are not merely picturesque — they are the reason this valley is known at all beyond Switzerland. The Simmental breed is one of the oldest and most widespread dual-purpose cattle breeds in the world, producing both milk and beef. The valley that gave them their name is still dotted with the traditional dark wooden farmsteads where the breed was developed over centuries.
The easiest way to get close to working valley agriculture is to walk any of the riverside trails between villages in summer, when the cattle are on the lower pastures before moving to the high grazings. The Alpabzug — the September descent of the herds from the alpine pastures — happens in villages across the valley and is the most visible annual event of the agricultural calendar. It is not staged for tourists; it simply happens.
Several farms around Boltigen and Erlenbach sell direct — cheese, meat, and dairy — and signs at farmgates indicating direct sales (Hofladen or Direktverkauf) are common in summer. The local Hobelkäse, a hard aged cheese shaved into thin curls rather than sliced, is the valley's most distinctive food product and worth seeking out from a producer rather than a supermarket.