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We wish you all a happy new year!
And it may well be – not a year without challenges, but a year full of opportunities!
We are excited about what the next few months will bring and would like to say goodbye to an eventful 2022 with a big picture selection of 365 days of colourful Michaelshof.
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Dear friends,
last year was an eventful one! We would like to say THANK YOU for the support you have shown us, through your visits, motivating social media comments and energetic help. All your gestures mean a lot to us – it’s good to know that there are people who understand and appreciate our vision! We are all connected, even if we are scattered all over Germany and the world and have different ‘construction sites’ in our lives …
And with that, let’s take a look at a small photo series of the past year at Michaelshof…
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Let’s start with the animals. The Ark Farm had a busy year full of challenges, like the day-and-night operation during the lambing season, the grazing season from May until late fall and the arrival of a new bull in the barn: Falko.
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The stable team led by Johanna, Malte and Saralou held the store together with ‘hands-on love’ – you can take that quite literally with animals (“What? WHERE are the goats?!”). At our second farm site in Banratz there was a real new beginning, with Leif and Marc moving to live there permanently, bringing to the work a new sense of stability. We feel that Banratz finally has the ‘soul’ that only comes from the coexistence of people and land. All in all, our agriculture is growing and thriving. We are over the moon about this!
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Of course, 2022 also saw the arrival of our new farm dog Oskar, who keeps his colleagues Timmi, Donna and Lissie (and actually all of us) on our toes ! You might have noticed that the newsletter editors are Oskar fans…
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We were also able to expand our agricultural fields again. In 2023 we will cultivate 160 hectares of green and arable land: feed for our animals, grain for the bakery and a wider variety of vegetables. The fact that we can farm so much land biodynamically always makes our heart beat a little faster. As we all know, the soil urgently needs development and vitality everywhere…
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And the vegetable team? You probably know Daniel, Gaby, Lilly, Kamyla, Els and Sara from our newsletter – it’s always a pleasure to report on their hands-on love of vegetables. We’re far from done trying out varieties and growing methods, so look forward to some delicious new vegetables in the coming year!
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Then there is our food production operation, which now includes 11 teams. 2022 was the year of focusing and stepping outside, to market our products to a wider audience. We now sell dairy, bakery, meat and cosmetic products in many shops in the region and as far afield as Hamburg. With one year more experience behind us and lots of new ideas, we’re heading into an exciting 2023 – we still have a lot planned!
If you don’t live too far away and are already planning a party for next year: Remember – our food truck is always ready to provide your party with organic burgers and other delicacies! Just send a message to info@sammatz.de.
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On the subject of food, we can’t forget our new canning room, completed after detailed and intricate planning (how do you get all the equipment plus a few employees into such a small room?) Since then, the autoclave, the steamer and a few happy workers have been busy canning away. You can buy the first products in the farm store and from the food truck in Lüneburg. Who knows, perhaps we will soon offer a course on preserving – ‘from the field to the jar’?
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As always, our gardens were both work and fun at the same time.
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For visitors they remain the most important point of attraction, for community members, students and volunteers they are the element of life that surrounds us every day, which occupies us from morning to night and yet is never finished, warming the heart and opening the soul. We believe that the plants like to talk to the soul, every day in a different way, even when you would rather just grumble. Beauty always gets through to us!
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The medicinal plants lab was on a roll last year, making cosmetics, teas and also image-creating methods. Last year ‘The Eichenhof’, the building that houses the laboratory, really took off, because it is expanding! We are currently in the middle of renovation work; soon two complete floors will be available for research, therapy and manufacturing.
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Team Construction was also super busy in 2022! We get a little better every year – building and renovating are simply our favourite jobs! Although some of the team members are always new and the staffing changes all the time, the results are impressive.
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This year, we were able to inaugurate our beautiful new library in the Main house, in addition to the aforementioned canning room, and we were able to finish three more houses in Flachsenberg. For the coming year, we are highly motivated to complete the Flachsenberg project, finish the conference rooms in the Main house, and complete the extension of the Eichenhof. Who knows, maybe there will be some Tiny Houses soon and a possibility to expand the farm store into a small organic market. Our construction dreams never end….
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On the cultural front, our ‘festivals’ stand out: the Tulip Festival was the best attended event we’ve hosted in a long time, there was a rainy but pleasant Animal Festival, a gorgeous Rose Festival, and a packed Summer Festival. In the fall, the ever-popular Apple Day could not be missed, and the finale was our Christmas Market, which attracted many curious guests to Michaelshof on December 23 and 24.
In addition, we held several seminars and guided tours on the nature topics that fascinate us. We will also be active in the broad field of ‘sustainability’ in the coming year – among other things in cooperation with Leuphana University Lüneburg.
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The children’s and youth home Peronnik grew in 2022 with the addition of a seventh residential group, which immediately settled into the cheerful orange ‘pumpkin house’ in Flachsenberg. The kids and their caregivers spent their vacation in Denmark, as is tradition.
The coolest thing of all, however, was the opening of the first Sammatz youth club in the Rose Garden! The ‘adults of tomorrow’ helped out for weeks and transformed a small apartment into a really great meeting place for the village youth. We wish them all happy chilling!
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For even longer than the young people have longed for a hangout space, we have waited for the chance to offer overnight stays at Michaelshof! We are extremely pleased that we were finally able to open the guest house in 2022 and have already welcomed several satisfied guests. The dignified rooms on the upper floor of the House of Nature are a wonderful place to relax and (for those who wish) participate fully in the life of the community. So, how about a cosy weekend in a garden paradise or an inspiring workcation in a colourful, international community?
This and much more is now possible. Book your rooms 2023 already now!
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Call it volunteering, internship or education for sustainable development: In 2022 Sammatz was full of young people, experiencing nature, working, and learning. In all, we welcomed 445 students and 520 volunteers from 48 nations. Many of them now call Sammatz their ‘second home’ – a place where they ‘learned more than they sometimes do at school and university’ and where they made ‘friends for life’.
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In the middle of all this, our ‘School of Life’ was able to start in the summer – thankfully supported by friends and foundations – with 41 participants. We think it’s a project with a future – we are already looking forward to meeting next year’s course with many questions, challenges, countless new friendships and mutual growth!
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As you can see, we have a lot planned for the coming year. Among the most important projects are the expansion of our guesthouse operations, the completion of the last Flachsenberg houses, the conversion of the Eichenhof into a therapeutic centre and a series of Tiny Houses. Likewise, caring for our old breeds of domestic animals and strengthening the biodiversity in the ‘big biotope Sammatz’ will continue to occupy us intensively, as will nature in general, social issues, and many other things that belong together and grow together at Michaelshof.
If you want to support us, please donate under the following button – it is a donation whose effect you can see directly:
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‹So, how was Christmas?›
What can we say? For many it was the best Christmas in many years, a year when, with the worst of the pandemic behind us, we could finally celebrate Christmas ‘á la Michaelshof’ again. We kicked things off on the 23rd of December with the long-awaited Christmas market, and of course the well-attended Christmas pageant, which touched everyone with its heartfelt spirituality, from the children to the guests from the neighbourhood or from the other side of the world.
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On Christmas Eve, we had our annual dinner together and then a colourful program with the volunteers in the Blue House – we sang, laughed, unwrapped presents and enjoyed being together.
Hear for yourself how our volunteers experienced the festivities:
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‹I really loved this Christmas here. You could feel how connected we felt as a community, just by smiling and looking at each other at the Christmas market.
At that moment I realized that I am part of this big and loving family, and that makes my soul happy›
– Ester, Spanien
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‹In my country, Christmas is all about food, family and music. I celebrated my first Christmas away from home here in Sammatz and I learned that Christmas is also a time of love, giving, peace, simplicity and gratitude. It was the first time I received a Christmas gift For me, every moment was very special, and I felt loved 🥰 › – Jojo, Uganda
‹Christmas in Sammatz was just wonderful. The Christmas market, the feast and the whole festive atmosphere was something I have rarely experienced. I am so glad I got to spend Christmas here with wonderful people. Thank you so much for that!› – Tadaki, Japan
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Michaelshof up to date – all opening hours at a glance!
Arche-Hof:
Mon-Sun 9.00 a.m. – 7.00 p.m.
Café:
Sat & Sun 12.00 a.m. – 6.00 p.m.
Farmshop:
Mon-Fri 9.30 a.m. – 12.00 a.m.
3.00 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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Save the date… Epiphany play in Sammatz on 06 January
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Next comes the Epiphany Play! Our team is already in full swing and rehearsing diligently. We would like to invite you to come and see it on January 6 at 8pm at the House of Nature!
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Postcard from Malawi / Hamburg
from Paschwa
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Hello Sammatz!!!
Hi Sammatz,
I can’t believe it’s been 6 months since I last visited! From the first time I arrived in 2019 I have never really been able to leave Sammatz. I met such beautiful people who I always want to visit, and also to breathe the fresh air and enjoy the community feeling! I often think about how lucky I was to be a volunteer in Sammatz and meet the open-minded people that I now call my friends, including where I met and fell in love with my boyfriend Luis!
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Not to mention all the skills that I learnt, like how to make cheese or build a wall, or preserve cucumbers, or bake cakes and mandelhörnchens (which by the way I made at Christmas for my family-yum!).
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I miss you all and I just wanted to let you know that I am grateful for Sammatz and it will always have a special place in my heart.
P.S. happy new year!!!! See you in 2023!!
– Paschwa
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Do you wish you were here? Or do you know someone for whom volunteering at Michaelshof would be just the thing? You can simply apply using the button below – volunteers from Germany are of course welcome, because the whole world meets in Sammatz. Maybe see you soon!
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The Gift of Light
Isn’t it exciting how much December lives from the element of light, how it turns into a festival whenever a candle burns? This year I became particularly aware of how much light has to do with the birth of Jesus Christ, which fills the atmosphere of the world with brightness and warmth.
I mean, if we look at it very objectively, all we did was decorate a green tree with some tiny lights. It’s not extravagant, it’s simple. And yet I feel like I jump with joy every time I see our Christmas trees or our decorations in the Blue House. Someone calls out in me: yes right, it’s time to celebrate!
It is a fascinating time when light and warmth are so scarce outside, and yet we can always have them ready inside. ‘Devotion’ is the old word for when it suddenly becomes warm and quiet in our often overhasty, intellectual consciousness and the world comes close to us … In our hearts we are ready at any time to give ourselves up for love and for the light brought by the birth of Christ to inspire. Oh, what a wonderful time…
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We sincerely wish you a Happy New Year! These times are restless, there is so much suffering, and so much nonsense that we must not let ourselves be discouraged. But right in the middle of it all there will be new opportunities, and many moments of amazement and surprises. Here’s to a year full of exciting discoveries and new friendships, insights and confessions, optimism and presence of mind. And of course, we wish you many beautiful Michaelshof moments in 2023!
Take care, we look forward to staying in touch with you over the coming year and welcoming many of you back!
Warmly,
your Michaelshof team
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