Scents flow through the air
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Sammatz rose bloom! Exuberant cascades of climbing roses on house walls and trees; clusters of blooms of rose trees in many beds, rose arches that invite you to walk through, noble single-standing high-trunk roses – everywhere you find the contrast of dark leafy green, defensible thorns and the delicate, colorful blossoms, sometimes simple like a wild rose, sometimes lushly filled. Clouds of rose scents drift through the air and enchant the walker.
A midsummer’s dream …
Summer solstice passed, announcing a marvellous season: Now the days are the longest, the plant life spreads to the maximum. Still every rain refreshes the wonder of the many leaf and flower colors. Soon the forces will turn more inward again, fruiting begins.
Yet the roses are only the most magnificent representatives of the many summer-flowering plants. Upright delphiniums mingle in between, alpine knotweed and bellflowers are there, the yellow daylilies begin to bloom … The heyday of perennials has just begun and will accompany us through the summer.
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In looking, smelling, enjoying warmth, we spread out far into space. Nature becomes the great house of the soul. In the past, people entered temples to meet the gods. In the height of summer, nature can be this temple. Its roof are the light-filled clouds; its floor the mineral world beneath our feet. Cloud intelligence above our heads, willpower from the earth’s depths, the soul sentient between … One need not be ‘mystical’ at all, one can keep their feet entirely on the ground and still sense this enchanting ‘temple’ of stones, plants, animals around us. Maybe on a special summer evening, when the last sunlight falls through the trees …
Do you know the – now old – children’s book about Frederik, a mouse who collects colors and scents in summer while everyone else is gathering grains? These warm Frederik’s siblings later in winter, when all the grains are eaten … We will have memories of high summer too. Have fun collecting summer!
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Michaelshof up-to-date – at a glance!
Opening Hours:
Arche-Hof:
Mo-Sunday 8.00 am – 7.00 pm
Hofladen:
Mo-Fr 9.30 am- 12.00 pm & 3.00 pm – 6.30 pm
Sa 10.00 am – 6.30 pm
Sun & holidays 10.00am – 6.30 pm
Café am Michaelshof:
Mo-Fr 8.00 am – 11.00 am, 2.00 pm – 6.00 pm
Sa 8.00 am – 6.30 pm
Sun & holidays 9.30 am – 6.30 pm
Der WAGEN:
Lüneburg: Wednesday & Saturday 07.00 am-1.00 pm
Sunday in Sammatz 12.00 pm-5.00 pm
We ask you to comply with the current safety regulations in Lower Saxony.
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Get to know Michaelshof
We’re a place that’s hard to figure out on the fly. Here are two very different ways to get to know us:
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Kennenlerntag every second Thursday!
Ever wondered what everyday community life is like? Every second Thursday of the month you have the chance to find out. You can expect a varied program with lots of input, fun and hands-on teamwork .
You will learn how our community has developed over 36 years, how we do Demeter agriculture, how to take care of animals and plants, or even how to make bread or cheese. Depending on the season and what’s going on, you’ll experience a day in tune with nature. You get to know our volunteers from all over the world and enjoy the fruits of our labour amidst the community. What do encounters look like when the whole village lives and works together? Where do the enchanting smiles of the people come from who cross your (beautiful garden) path here?
Arrive, slow down, pause, experience real humanity with all your senses. Be in the here and now.
Come here, join us! We are looking forward to meeting you!
Book your Kennenlerntag at our event homepage.
Every second Thursday 9am – 4pm, cost: 120€, 90€ reduced
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Speaking of getting to know Sammatz: for those who don’t have a whole day, we offer guided tours through our gardens. All-round Tours with facts and aha-moments about the Michaelshof.
On request, we are also happy to focus on specific topics. Perspectives like…
- Community Life
- The World of Birds
- Demeter Agriculture
- In the Gardens. Roses and Perennials and Other Plants
- Ecology
…allow you to experience in some places the richness of the place in its depths. 45 minutes pure Sammatz! Here is something for everyone!
Every Saturday at 3 pm (8€ p.p.), for groups on request (60€ per tour).
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#lifelong learning
Lifelong learning is one of the big buzzwords of our time. In reality, we hear ‘learning’ and already switch off. After all, learning at school was often no walk in the park – but why, really? Maybe I love math, but just didn’t feel like it on Monday morning. Maybe I don’t really enjoy bio until I’m out in the field with my friends watching butterflies. Let’s get back to unbiased learning, to 3-year-olds’ favorite word: ‘Why?’
It’s not at all that we don’t want to know anything today. Throughout our lives, haven’t there just been too many curricula that have taken away our self-motivation to learn?
After all, ‘community’ means that it’s the person that counts, each and every one. This is also a solution to the dilemma of ‘learning’. Imagine that you can choose exactly those tasks that match your talents. It doesn’t matter if you have never milked sheep, built houses, baked bread or planted perennials. Here you can simply try yourself out. Feel like starting a project on your own? That is also possible!
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Just imagine, there are passionate teachers everywhere. In a community of our size, a lot comes together: from biologists and star pundits, to design or agricultural experts, to engineers – there are a lot of topics we can cover. The whole village: a single playing field of knowledge transfer – for people of all ages.
And then there’s – right in the middle and most important of all – human, personal learning. Discover yourself and get to know yourself, in order to be able to act more freely in return. Once your interest in people is awakened, you won’t want to stop. Learning takes place in the midst of lively conversations or hands-on in one of our work areas.
Sounds interesting? You can get involved by volunteering in our community, for example, or by taking one of the many courses we offer at Michaelshof. Have a look at our program! Just be here and take in what comes your way.
Learning is only fun when we find the content really exciting. Learning does not have to be exhausting. At least not with us!
Here you learn within life — a lifetime.
#lifelong learning
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Report from the agriculture
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Interview in the green with Jakob & Daniel
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Jakob, how are the animals?
They’re doing great, most of them are out in the pasture during the day, enjoying the nutritious summer grass, the sun and the freedom of movement.
And how is the new suckler cow husbandry going?
Good! At the moment, we have three cows with about seven calves being kept as suckler cows. They still need to get used to it, of course, but I think it’s coming along. We also recently got a new lead cow, Rosa.
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How do you become a lead cow?
I think through character, a certain age and good boxing skills. You can then observe the dynamics within the herd to see who becomes the leading cow.
What is currently going on in agriculture?
The cow barn will be mucked out soon and we are currently making hay. This year we also grew baking grain for the bakery for the first time, which we will harvest in about 4 weeks.
What do you love about farming?
Fields and cows. Re-tilling the fields, making hay and harvesting grain are my favorite moments.
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Daniel, what are you doing here?
Actually, pigs and vegetables are my favorite topics. I’ve always loved vegetables.
What is your goal in growing vegetables?
Right now we have about 3ha; my dream would be to grow 7ha of vegetables in the future. I would also like to grow more ‘fine things’, like lamb’s lettuce or arugula.
Do you prefer growing or eating?
Definitely growing. I also like lettuce and carrots, but I don’t really like eating vegetables that much. I’m more about feeding people, but also watching the process as the plant grows and thrives.
Is the weather good for vegetables?
Yes. I mean, in the spring it was a little too cold, so everything grew very slowly. Everything is a little bit later than usual. But now the weather is good, we irrigate a lot, this way we can also better control what happens in the fields.
What are your most beautiful moments?
For me, the most beautiful moment is when I hoe at the right time and later have a beautiful lettuce bed. The sight always delights me.
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GWENDOLYN IS HERE – Congratulations Nicole and Etienne to our latest child addition in Sammatz! We are happy!
STRAWBERRIES – we harvest our first strawberries! Happy faces everywhere in the strawberry field.
DID YOU KNOW? – that pigs like to bathe? At least ours do! Liliane is our lifeguard.
CAFÉ-HAPPINESS – our café is open again in outdoor gastronomy! Finally again sipping cappuccino on our comfortable garden furniture.
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Jirlău
Florin Anghelescu, Jirlău, România
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Hello friends! Florin here.
It’s my pleasure to take you into my world with some stories and updates. Well…in 3 years of pure Sammatz my life and values have changed quite a bit. Most importantly, I’ve started thinking differently and dreaming big, you know how life is in Sammatz – super active, lined with interesting and crazy people and full of stories. You fall in love and get into trouble. That’s how it is!
Since I came back to Romania at the end of January, a lot has changed.
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I finished school and recently became part of a national NGO with a great team called Tăşuleasa Social. In addition to tree planting campaigns, supporting children and youth, and bringing people together, we are building a 1400 km trail that crosses the entire country from the northeast to the southwest. The trail passes through some of the most beautiful parts of Romania. Via Transilvanica is literally a work of art; at every single kilometer you will find a stone carved by young artists*. So if you’re planning a trip to Santiago de Compostela this summer, consider coming to Romania instead and losing yourself in the beautiful landscapes of Via Transilvanica.
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