A stunning German influencer who abandoned her VIP lifestyle to run a cattle farm in rural Austria has accused vegans of lacking respect.
Former actress and model Cheyenne Savannah Ochsenknecht, 23, and her 28-year-old husband Nino Sifkovits, took over the family farm three years ago,
The couple, who revealed their rural life on a reality TV show, focus on breeding Chianina, a prime Italian breed famous for its meat.
But Cheyenne, who became a movie actress aged just five, hit out at vegan activists over their attacks on her trade.
She said: “On the one hand I accept there are many valid reasons to abstain from eating meat, however, when we decide that we want meat then it is also crucial to opt for the highest possible quality.”
They said this included responsibility for giving their animals a quality life and investing in their well-being right up to the point when they need to be butchered. This costs money, and it needed to be paid for, they argued.
Nino, a skilled butcher, told local media: “Our society will never abstain from consuming meat. This is why we should focus on high-quality products. In my opinion, meat should be the most expensive food.
“Our new barn has 1,000 square metres. There’s an activity area, calm zones, an awning and a cattle balcony featuring scrubbers.“
Cheyenne, whose dad Uwe Ochsenknecht is one of Germany’s most celebrated actors, added: “I want more respect for us and our business.
“Unfortunately, I don’t receive an appropriate amount of respect from some vegans. I don’t criticise anyone for preferring tofu schnitzel.”
On their farm in Dobl near Graz, in the state of Styria, Cheyenne and Nino say they practice what they preach in looking after their animals and provide spacious sheds and ideal enclosures for cattle.
He added: “We have to make many people, especially children, aware of the fact that animals have to die each day for our schnitzels.”
The average German consumes 52 kilogrammes (115 lbs) of meat a year, according to researchers.
In neighbouring Austria, the total is 59 kilogrammes (130 lbs) per head.
On their website, the young farmers say: “We accompany our animals from birth.
“Carrying out slaughtering procedures ourselves with as little stress as possible for our cattle is of great importance to us. We owe that to our animals.”
The couple currently care for 150 cattle and sheep.
Cheyenne, who has 633,000 Instagram followers, gave birth to son Matteo in May and the couple also have a two-year-old daughter called Mavie.
She says she jumped at the chance of leaving her showbiz life behind for a life of mucking out on the farm.
She said: “I haven’t hesitated a second!”
Cheyenne captioned a recent social media photo of her in the stables saying: “Home is where your herd is.”
A new series of the couple’s reality television hit ‘Unser Hof’, or ‘Our Farm’, is to be screened by Sky Germany from next month (Nov).
