Our journey through the world of perennials continues along a narrow, enchanted path to what we call our Perennial Plateau. Nowhere else in our diverse gardens will you find such an enormous variety of plants. Geometric flowerbeds—long and straight, circular and gently curving in S-shapes across the sloping terrain—provide a stage for our towering perennial giants. Cup plants, tall false asters, phlox in every colour, butterfly-covered Joe-Pye weed, rose mallows with their large, exotic-looking flowers in shades of pink and deep red, blue moor grass, feather reed grass, fountain grass and much more are really pulling out all the stops here and showing themselves at their very best. And when the wind sweeps through the grasses and gently sets the entire sea of flowers in motion, the Arena and Perennial Plateau reveal their own very special magic.

The best thing is simply to come and see for yourselves. Look around. Marvel. And discover that something very small really can grow into something truly great.

Anyone who knows us knows that there is pretty much always plenty of action at Michaelshof. We build and garden, produce food, organise events, support children and young people, and shape our community together. So why get involved in politics as well? Is that really necessary?

For us, the answer is clear: YES! Why? Because precisely what we live and learn every day at Michaelshof is also needed in local politics. Especially today, when political debates can quickly turn into confrontation, we believe: community helps—because it brings the focus back to what people can achieve together.

That also means working constructively across party lines. Having completely different political opinions and sometimes thinking the person opposite you is pretty annoying: that’s okay. What matters is continuing to look for solutions together—with the focus always on what is best for people and nature in the region. Especially in a smaller municipality, but also at district level, we can only move forward if we do not remain stuck on our differences. Within our international community, we experience this time and again: differences—in culture, biography, nationality or philosophy of life—can give rise to unexpected friendships, if only we take the time and have the courage to talk to one another.

At Michaelshof, we have found a few principles that guide us in everyday life and make it possible to live and work well together. First and foremost is treating one another with respect and honesty. This also means, for example, not necessarily insisting on your own point of view. If I hear a better one, why shouldn’t I go along with it (in consultation with my colleagues, of course)? Flexible and constructive—two magic words … Equally important to us is treating nature with care, which means organic farming, biodiversity and sustainability. Nature should not serve merely as a means to an end, but should be a partner to human beings. Work, too, is more than simply earning money for us: it gives life meaning and usually creates something that benefits others—even if it is not easy every single day. A healthy community life naturally also means not shutting yourself off from the world, but actively being part of the region and of society.

These are principles that shape the people of Michaelshof and KalliEco, and without them we find it difficult to imagine good social coexistence. Of course, we do not always succeed either. Wherever many people come together, there are misunderstandings and things that can be done better next time. But that, too, is part of it: not sweeping mistakes under the carpet, but learning from them. On the other hand, holding grudges gets you nowhere. Life in a community is always a very concrete training ground: ideas have to prove themselves in everyday life, conflicts need to be resolved, responsibility taken, and decisions supported together. Sometimes it works amazingly well, sometimes a little less so—and there is a great deal to learn from precisely that. And some of what works—or goes wrong—on the small scale of the community crops up again in the “larger” world of local public life …
So in our community at Michaelshof, we learn many things that we would also like to contribute to political life.

How did things go in the vegetable fields this year, Gabi? After the cold spring, many things got off to a somewhat later start, but the heat that followed was really good for tomatoes, pumpkins, courgettes, carrots and onions. We have never had as many peppers as we did this summer, for example—hello, delicious pepper chutney! Even the pickling cucumbers, which unfortunately had never really grown properly over the past four years, did well this time. Only the celery was less enthusiastic about the weather and probably will not be quite as abundant. June and July were two very labour-intensive months, with weeding, planting and the first harvests—sometimes even 24 hours would not have been enough to take optimal care of everything. August was dominated by large harvests. In September and October, the autumn and storage vegetables such as carrots, potatoes and beetroot will follow—and with pak choi, Chinese cabbage and chicory, we are also trying out a few new crops for the winter.

And what do our farmers say about the harvest, Jakob? All in all, grain yields are slightly lower this year, but the quality is good. Apart from the buckwheat, everything is already stored in our grain silos. We are very well supplied with straw until the next harvest; with hay, however, the changeable weather made things a little more difficult. The hot spells between showers were often too short to bale good, dry hay, but in the end we almost always managed it!
We are especially relieved about the quality of our grain: because of all the rain, for a long time we were not sure whether it would turn out well. Fortunately, the tests say: yes, the grain is suitable for baking! So in the coming year, we can once again mill our own grain and use it in our bakery—and know exactly what goes into our bread and which fields it grew in.

The Selma Lagerlöf School—“Selma” for short—is our private primary and lower secondary school founded by Michaelshof, specialising in social and emotional development, in the neighbouring village of Wietzetze. 37 pupils currently study there in five classes on the grounds of a former farm.
Selma has been back in action for three weeks now—with a few new pupils and a great atmosphere among the staff. Alongside regular lessons, the first thing we did after the holidays was work together to get the school garden back into shape. Last Saturday, we also finally held the summer festival that the heat had ruined for us at the end of the last school year.
There were lots of great games that pupils and teachers had come up with together: naturally, the indispensable wheelbarrow race—the new course record is 49 seconds!—and a remote-controlled boat built as part of a technology project that had to navigate a course through a landscape of islands. There was also a generous buffet, corn and sausages from the barbecue and, above all, a lovely, relaxed time together.
And that is exactly what visitors tell us again and again: there is an exceptionally cheerful atmosphere at our school. That makes us happy and encourages us—because despite all the challenges of everyday life, we keep noticing how much we enjoy shaping school life together. And so we are heading into our 7th year feeling lively rather than unlucky …

Would you like to learn more, enrol a child or work with us?
lagerloef-schule-wietzetze.de · schule@sammatz.de · 05858 971 91 11
(Feel free to leave a message on the answering machine!)

In autumn 2024, Yohran & Larissa knocked on our door. Partly out of necessity. The two Brazilians from near São Paulo—he an aeronautical engineer, she working, among other things, as a medical laboratory technician—had travelled to Germany to take up a promising position in southern Germany. But shortly after they arrived, the project unexpectedly fell through due to changes in the political framework and a lack of funding. From one day to the next, their plans had come to nothing. At first, it was quite a shock for both of them. What now?
By chance, they heard about the volunteering opportunity in Sammatz and our international community at Michaelshof. Just two days later, they were standing on our doorstep with their suitcases. Like all volunteers, they initially helped out everywhere: gardening, animals, construction, food logistics, the Blue House, the kitchen—simply everything. It quickly became clear that these two extremely lovable, open, warm and above all incredibly helpful people think things through from A to Z, are never too proud to do anything, and simply love getting stuck in. And so today, almost two years, one Working Holiday and one BFD later, they are still happy to be here.

For next summer, alongside vegan vanilla and chocolate ice cream, he is planning to create another new organic flavour made from açaí berries—an absolute hit as juice or smoothies in Brazil and, according to Yohran, now also available in many major German cities! Incidentally, Yohran also works in the food logistics team. There, he plays an active role in making sure our food products get from the production areas to the sales areas as smoothly as possible, while also introducing our international helpers to the world of Michaelshof food products.

Larissa, his wife, meanwhile takes care of our Guest House with great dedication and heart. With her hands-on approach and loving eye for detail, she ensures cleanliness and order and creates an atmosphere in which our guests can feel completely at home.

She also helps the residents of the “Blue House,” our youth hostel, to keep their home clean, showing some of them for the first time how to clean properly, wash dishes and take care of their own household. Every day anew, she manages to create a welcoming and cosy home for our many volunteers and interns in next to no time.

One job they absolutely love doing together is helping Christian with preserving. Whether it’s chutney, plain vegetables, jam or soups—they love the process of preserving food together. That says a lot about the two of them: they love being a double act, they are a great team, and they lovingly help each other wherever they can. They are both also very funny and have a subtle sense of humour. So we’re happy to take Jackson Browne’s words to heart: “Oh, won’t you stay, just a little bit longer …” 😄

Fun Fact: They grew up in the same neighbourhood, attended the same schools for years and even went to the same university—and yet they only met later, while studying education. They became good friends there and eventually became a couple during a trip around Europe together. And in the process, one of Yohran’s old dreams came true: ever since he was little, he had said that one day he would propose to the woman he stood on the Eiffel Tower with. And that is exactly what he did. ❤️

P.S. One more insider tip for anyone travelling to Brazil: you absolutely have to try a “lanche” (pronounced “lun-shee”)! It’s a classic Brazilian snack, Brazilian street food, you might say, and the equivalent of our “hamburger”—only much more lavish and piled high with a wealth of delicious ingredients!

• Educator for our “Peronnik” child & youth care facility
• Teacher for our Selma Lagerlöf School in Wietzetze
• Gardening instructor
• Landscape gardener
• Construction worker
• Pharmacist
• Printer & laminator

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