Elsy Gäumann, the 86-year-old, single mountain farmer from Rougemont, shares a special bond with Sissi, a Saanen goat.

In 2025, not all groceries arrive by car.
Above Rougemont, 86-year-old farmer Elsy Gäumann still carries on a mountain way of life — with the help of her goat, Sissi, who faithfully hauls the weekly shopping up the slope to her farmhouse.

Elsy looks after her four-legged pensioners with great care and affection, whether in the stable or out on the pasture. Two cows and four goats make up her small herd, and they are all tended with devotion. Her house and barn stand on a slope above the village, with no road leading up to them – only a footpath. The weekly groceries are delivered to the bottom of the trail. Carrying them up to the house was always a struggle, until Sissi came into the picture.

Following the motto “if you want something done, do it yourself,” Elsy crafted a handsome leather halter and a light wicker harness with side pouches for Sissi. Without complaint, the gentle goat now carries the shopping all the way up to the farmhouse – right into the ground-floor kitchen. Naturally, she is always rewarded for her efforts with plenty of affection and a tasty treat.

“I am so grateful to Sissi,” says Elsy. “It brings me such joy that she takes the burden of carrying those heavy groceries off my shoulders.”

Based on AvS | Suzy Duperrex-Walker