Switzerland has a unique structure in in its dairy industry due to state supports. The Swiss government has placed emphasis on self sufficiency in milk products while avoiding rural depopulation by keeping farms on the land. A significant feature encountered was the size of dairy herds. Over 80pc of dairy herds range from ten to fifty cows in size. There are no milk quotas. Dairy herd size has increased over the past ten years. Family run farms are the norm, with an increase in technology to accommodate the management of cow numbers. There is a spin-off to the tourist industry as the tourists are drawn to a vibrant active community in the mountainous areas during the summer months. Can Ireland learn from the Swiss government intervention before my farming friends on the Dingle peninsula disappear?