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Individuality and community
For whom do I contribute what to the whole?
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We live in a time in which individuality is the highest good. Perhaps rightly so: as modern people, freedom and self-determination should be the basis of everything we do. However, freedom is not a state but the result of inner work. It is not yet a goal, nor does it give meaning to life on its own. What do we seek freedom for?
In our modern lifestyles, there often seems to be nothing more important than going my way. Self-love, me-time and work-life balance are absolute non-negotiables in the life culture of Millennials – the fear of ‘giving too much’ is more or less consciously omnipresent.
But what’s to stop us from giving ourselves to something larger out of free will? The hottest goals, the ones that really get you off the couch, are usually the ones you’ll never achieve on your own. And doing things together is simply more fun. With the step of wanting something together, a different attitude towards life begins. Suddenly, the beautiful ideal of giving as much as I can with all my heart is stirring in my own chest. And I do it because I want to, not because it is demanded of me. I do it for my environment, for nature, for the world, simply because it gives me joy. From then on Sky is the Limit!
With this feeling we can create new things together, maybe even think in a completely new way! We can meet many exciting people, build networks and work on important issues – for a healthy world, for peace, for community. Why can’t I fall into bed at night dead tired but overjoyed, full of joy for the day and what I have created? After all, it puts a smile on my face when I fall asleep and serves many other people as well. And even if the work-life balance should have long since gone, I wake up cheerful. Magic?
This doesn’t mean we should be naive. Of course, we all have to take good care of ourselves – whoops, by the way, it’s even nicer if we all take care of each other instead of ourselves. It creates more emotional warmth and usually works better. We have to take breaks and be alone when necessary, no question. And there is also really a lot of work that you just have to do yourself. For example, finding the necessary motivation to change something in your life – no one can help you with that.
But we also believe that you only realize certain things when you are surrounded by people who are interested, who point out strengths and weaknesses, who are enthusiastic about you and also say what perhaps makes them sad about you. It is often the same people who confront you with your flaws and show you how valuable you are; simply because they love you, as friends, as partners, as family.
We are all, each of us, our own complicated, infinite cosmos. No one walks the roads of a soul to the end, Heraclitus already knew that. But we would also be nothing without community.
If we want to be modern individualists and dancers of life, this is the principle: I am there so that the others are well. And trust that the others will act the same way towards me. It doesn’t protect you from pain and disappointment, but it also gives you the best feelings. And it is Self-Love, because it is World-Love
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News from the bird-team
by Finn
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This year we were constantly on the road with a small team in the region around Sammatz to take an intensive look at the bird life surrounding us. In the process we encountered all kinds of exciting things.
The big highlight was at the end of May, when we found a harrier brood near Groß Banratz and followed it until July. In cooperation with the biosphere reserve and a responsible farmer, we were able to secure the clutch of these highly endangered birds of prey with 5 eggs and save it from the grass mowing. We gained intimate insights into the entire process of the brood, like the female bringing in nesting material or the male returning from a successful hunt and handing over the prey to the female in the air. Together they defend their territory against buzzards, kites, crows and even sea eagles. Finally, three fledged young birds leaving the nest. This was a sometimes nerve-wracking and exhausting process to follow, but in the end a very rewarding and satisfying experience of a very special kind.
After a quiet late summer, migration is now in full swing and we are already seeing the first large flocks of geese in the fields and in the sky. We are now especially looking forward to the early arrival of Whooper and Bewick Swans in Amt Neuhaus.
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Harriers: Old bird female with food in the nest approach & Fledged young birds
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Ark Farm News
On the road…
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We catch part of the farming team in the car on the way to the Elbe ferry, which connects Sammatz with our second farming location Banratz. Johanna, Anton and Malte counted hay in Banratz in the morning and looked after things.
‘So, are you having fun?
‘Yes totally, it’s the best work, especially in a team!’
‘What’s keeping you busy in agriculture right now?’
‘The fields are finished tilling and everything is drilled in – including baking and feed grains. In some fields we have sown green manure, in others forage grass. These are catch crops that help the field to regenerate and at the same time serve as fodder. Then we’ll soon be using the nice days for the last green cut, which we’ll use to make silage.’
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‘What does the farm’s daily routine actually look like?’
‘At the moment we have a super stable team that does a great job and simply has love for the animals in its blood. That’s Raissa, Anne, Pia, Alex, Rose, Birgit, Lukas, Genia and of course our long-time stable friends Jakob, Marianne, Sara and Co. – it’s really a lot of fun.
Apart from that, last week we got two Canadian turkeys for our pheasant enclosure, whose owner wanted to keep them with us. Our youngest calf is Florina, who is already very strong and lively. And on Friday a new billy goat will arrive in Sammatz, which we are very happy about.
Attention: now it’s off to the ferry. Is that enough for you already?’
‘Yes of course, thank you very much and happy farming week to you three!’
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Creamy butter!
We’re in love! Lea made our first butter from Demeter milk and it tastes sooo delicious! Fluffy, light and full of flavor, you can finally prepare a butter sandwich completely à la Michaelshof. This noble product – easily recognizable by the red checkered butter paper – is available in the farm store and on the market!
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Sweet Potatoes
Our vegetable gardeners have tried a lot of new things this season, and it has worked out great! For example, we have now harvested sweet potatoes for the first time – super beautiful, super healthy, super delicious. This great tuber is a vitamin-rich all-rounder in soups, from the oven and in salads.
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Veal package
Get your package of tender veal from Michaelshof. Our Angler red cattle are kept on the Sammatz Ark farm with a lot of love and according to Demeter guidelines. You can see that in the quality of the meat! As always in the farm store, at the market or pre-order.
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Welcome to a new section of our newsletter! In ‘Have you met…?’ each month, we’ll introduce you to a member of the community in a little more detail and show you the people behind the scenes in the café, the gardens, and in our cool volunteer community. Today let’s meet: Felix.
Felix has been at Michaelshof for about three years now. In the beginning it was more by chance, because despite all his interest in spirituality, he found community ‘weird’ at first.
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When he heard from a friend what life is like here, how many people from all over the world live and work here and what the atmosphere is like, he was hooked – he had to see it at least once. So he came to Sammatz as a volunteer. For the first time he came for two weeks, then it was on to traveling and living a “normal” life studying and working. But something about Michaelshof fascinated him, so he came back after not too long and settled in pretty quickly, with all the ups and downs, spiritual affirmations, love and heartache, successes and challenges.
His first big step was store management, together with Caro. After that, he worked in the financial sector for a long time and – as a former banker – is still an accounting expert. But life goes on and so Felix started his immersion into the secrets of nature at the end of the production chain: he has recently, taken charge of the ‘Food-Village’ division, which organizes our diverse food production.
Until recently, you could always recognize Felix by his stylish bun. But if you want a change, then let’s get it right. So last week it was: a haircut! If you want to see the result, just drop by. Maybe you’ll meet him in the store checking products, in the kitchen chatting with Christian, checking the quality of peppers in the field, or concentrating intently as he and Emmanuel organize the meat production. By the way, the gentleman in charge of food is not only full of ideas and verve, but also the village’s best Elvis Presley incorporator and office clown. It would only be half as fun without him …
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Garden tip from Hannah
Autumn Edition
At the moment, I recommend you to visit the more secluded part of the gardens: the arena and the perennial plateau. As you walk down the long perennial plateau behind the Michaelshof towards the S-flower-beds, you’ll experience a wonderful atmosphere with lots of reds and yellows. The Miscanthus forms its fluffy seeds and in general the grasses increase in beauty especially in October and November. It is still a great pleasure to walk through the gardens, even though autumn has fully arrived.
The chrysanthemums are blooming so beautifully right now in white, pink, red and yellow. By the way, it is not always easy to have chrysanthemums in the garden, because not every variety can withstand the weather. But if you’ve planted the right ones, they’ll be in peak bloom right now, when most other flowers have already wilted.
And then, of course, there are the wonderful dahlias on the eastern edge of the arena that will continue to radiate greatness to us until the first frost. Right next to them we find a full apple tree, whose apples are so-called storage apples. When we harvest them soon, they will not taste good at first. But during the winter they will ripen and develop their taste.
That means: Let’s go to the Michaelshof, the garden visit is worth it! Just look, breathe in and don’t forget nature out there!
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And how are things in the medicinal plant field, Sara?
It’s wonderful to watch autumn move in on the medicinal plant field. The buzz of insects turns into the deep hum of queen bumblebees feasting on the last nectar of the year. The colorful and wild songs of birds become the calls of cranes and geese passing overhead in impressive formations. And the perennials? They are completely retreating into the earth or already sending out the first shoots that protect the roots from the winter cold. Our work there is also done.
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The beds of seasonal plants have received their protective winter greenery, the perennials have been cut, the beds weeded, the seeds collected.
But this field will continue to be a place that the Sammatzians love to visit. They talk about the light, the special mood, the calm and powerful atmosphere. They are touched by everything that has worked and continues to work there – in the soil, on the plants and animals, and of course on people.
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Reports from our
October-Events
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At the beginning of October, we celebrated a festival all about apples – no less than 130 apple varieties were on display at the House of Nature. The pomologist Hermann Stolberg collected them, brought the impressive and breathtakingly smelling ensemble to Sammatz and presented it in the House of Nature.
At the festival there were culinary delicacies and a colorful program. From apple pie and pumpkin soup to fries and burgers from the food truck, we provided you with all-round organic food.
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At the harvest stand there were fruits and vegetables directly from the field (or from the tree), on the meadow young and old could test their skills and the Sammatz Combo played again folk music from all over the world.
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Two weeks later, our soil seminar took place in beautiful weather. Marianne and Nadja took us outside to look at different soils – those that were conventionally farmed until recently and others that we have been tending for years according to Demeter guidelines. We learned a lot about preparations, proper soil management, and how to test the quality of soils using Chromas.
It was a really exciting day! Many thanks to all participants and especially to Marianne and Nadja!
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Events in November & December
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Saturday, Nov. 17, 4-11 p.m.
Starry sky in winter
In winter, the stars shine out at us in glorious clarity, forming the winter hexagon with their brightest stars high in the sky at night. In this seminar we will learn to read the night sky together – indoors at the star chart and outdoors at the clear Sammatz night sky.
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Fr. Dec. 23. & Sa. Dec. 24.
Sammatz Christmas Market
In the small cozy booths you can find beautiful and delicious things, the atmosphere is wonderfully Christmasy and the music sounds from all corners. Let yourself be enchanted by the Sammatz Christmas market with many regional products.
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Michaelshof up to date – at a glance!
Ark yard:
Mon-Sun 9.00 a.m. – 7.00 p.m.
Café:
– The Café at Michaelshof is on winter break. However, you can still get some coffee and cake in the farm store at the Arche-Hof! –
Farm Store:
Mon-Fri 10.00 a.m.- 12.30 p.m.
2.00 p.m. – 7.00 p.m.
Sat, Sun & holidays 10.00 a.m. – 7.00 p.m.
Der WAGEN in Lüneburg:
Wed & Sat 7.00 a.m. – 1.00 p.m.
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Autumn. Leaves. Light.
Autumn is coming dear people! And how! I myself have always had a divided relationship with autumn, simply because I am an absolute summer child. I was always sad when the leaves turned and made us unmistakably clear that now the cold season is moving in. Brrrrrr…
But just as I could make friends with the tulips and with the roses and love them now very much, so I’m moving closer to loving autumn this year. I mean it also has something beautiful with it, the development of nature. The whole summer the trees have decorated themselves with rich green and now it’s just colorful. The leaves of the trees make me now more intensely than ever aware that it is part of life to die, to rise again in the next year or next cycle. I notice how not only the trees and nature, but also I myself change. Somehow everything is calmer. Autumn is for sorting out the experiences of summer, with cool heads and heart-warming thoughts. That’s not possible in the heated summer when we’re constantly outside and don’t know if we want to go to the concert or the lake next. So it seems that every season has its own special advantages.
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And let’s be honest: what would the year be without the intense autumn sun warming our cheeks in all that cold wetness? Without the play of light through the colorful leaves, the birds saying goodbye, flying towards the south and the blowing bushes in the wind?
For me, autumn is like a warm blanket that lightens my summer heartache and makes me marvel a little more at the beauty of nature.
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+++ NEWSTICKER +++
A few impressions from the community life…
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A picture is worth a thousand words, so we’ll share some with you! These are the winning pictures of the past few weeks:
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A happy Leif at work and wonderfully bright purple loosestrife in the sunset…
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…construction site flair and celery talks…
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… and our super nice guest rooms. We are happy about every overnight stay, simply because it is wonderful to offer many people an extended Michaelshof experience!
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For our team we are looking for committed and dynamic people, who like to take responsibility and who enjoy country life. Is a meaningful activity more important to you than a “9 to 5 job”? Then you’ve come to the right place!
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We are looking for professionals or interns in the field:
Office:
Hands-on:
- Agriculture
- Horticulture / Gardening
- Construction worker
- Caretaker
- Pot and greenhouse maintenance
Production
- Market salesperson
- Farm shop
- Bakery
- Pastry
People & Healing
Your qualification is not listed? Still interested? Just give it a try!
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‘So – see anything?!’
‘Nope, how could I, it’s an eclipse!’
Marianne and Olaf absolutely love their job in the medicinal plant manufactory and like to live intensively with the course of the year. Greetings from the Eichenhof!
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