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Autumn-visit to Michaelshof
There’s a lot to see! For example…
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Wondering whether it’s still worth coming to Michaelshof at this time of year? Is the café even open and is there still something to see? Our answer: Of course!!! Coat on, hat on and off you go!
Autumn is a wonderfully romantic time of year for us – the leaves are changing colour and an orange veil covers the gardens. And as we gradually put on one more layer, the trees slowly drop their leaves. Alongside the still colourful dahlias, the rose hips on the rose bushes are glowing bright red. By the forest lake and around the small apple tree pond in the campus garden, the pink Mozart roses still adorn the gardens and will hopefully stay with us until Christmas. Off you go for an autumn walk with a special flair!
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And there’s plenty else to discover here in the colder months too! How about a café afternoon, for example? We are still open every day throughout the winter: Monday to Friday from 8-11am and 12.30pm-6pm; Saturday 8am-6pm; Sundays & public holidays from 9.30am-6pm. We will spoil you with delicious coffee & cake, savoury treats and, if you like, our brilliantly decorated ice cream sundaes. From Monday to Saturday, we now also offer a daily changing lunch menu between 12.30 and 14.30.
Or: Have you already found the perfect place for your Christmas party? No? Then book an appointment with us now! We are happy to cater to your wishes, with delicious organic food from the farm, Christmas decorations on request & much more!
Pssst: save the date of our Christmas market on 23 & 24 December!
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We also continue to offer guided tours in autumn, for example of the entire community or on a super exciting guided tour of the dairy (both €80 for one hour).
And for all those who need a real break in nature, our guest rooms are THE thing! Enjoy the magical autumn atmosphere in our lively community atmosphere! Just calm down and relax.
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The vegetable season is coming to an end…
And what else is there to do?
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We take you through the last three weeks of this season’s vegetable history, as the first frost was already on the cards on 18 October. That meant: ‹All aboard, now we have to be fast!› The first potted plants – especially citrus fruits –wanted to be put into their winter quarters and the sensitive vegetables also needed to be brought into dry cloths! Once again, we successfully harvested the beetroot for the animals, peppers, chillies, jalapeños and the last red and green tomatoes in a big community action.
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But that wasn’t the end of the story, as many of the vegetables have to be processed straight away. At the moment, Camila, João and Christian are incorporating pumpkin into every one of our canteen dishes in all sorts of variations and are getting really creative in the process. We are currently processing all the rest in our preserving kitchen every day and late into the evening – large quantities of pumpkin soup, pickled jalapeños and green tomato chutney base are passing through many hard-working community hands! A short report from Christian, who is responsible for the canning quantities:
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Anna: ‹Christian, what does canning time actually mean to you, do you enjoy it or is it mainly stressful?›
Christian: ‹In any case, the preserving kitchen is a world of its own, very different from the kitchen. You don’t have to have food on the table every day at 12.30 pm, but you do have to be able to react ultra-flexibly to the weather and vegetable gardening requirements. I know different feelings about preserving, it’s a bit different every day – but the positives definitely outweigh the negatives!›
Anna: ‹What excites you about preserving?›
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Christian: ‹The fact that we are now working with the vegetable sector to produce a basic winter supply for many people, i.e. for the community and beyond! I think that’s great! And then the actions are also really fun – it’s great when the whole community connects with the vegetables.›
Anna: ‹That’s right! Thank you for the insight and happy preserving!›
Christian: ‹Sure, no worries. Erm, are you joining us tonight?›
Anna: ‹Count me in, see you later!›
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What do our volunteers actually do in autumn?
A little insight into international life
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Where it’s buzzing with young people full of energy and bumblebees in midsummer, it definitely gets a little quieter around the Blue House and the gardens in autumn. Next week, we will be welcoming the last 2023 class of agricultural interns from Frankfurt for a fortnight, bringing this year’s record-breaking season to a close with around 640 students travelling in class groups and 200 individual interns from a total of 70 schools. So the internship season is over, apart from a few enthusiasts who take the opportunity to come to Sammatz and help out on every day the can spare. Otherwise, the clientele towards autumn/winter is mainly concentrated on volunteers from all over the world. It just gets a little quieter. With around 50 people, we are currently hard at work raking leaves, harvesting the last apples or preserving; the construction team is still finishing the last facades before the interior work on the houses begins for the winter.
After work, creativity is required for leisure activities, here in the middle of nowhere. When the days of cycling to the lake are over, it’s time for the cosy activities! And this year’s autumn volunteers have mastered this brilliantly! Whether it’s a potluck buffet, open stage or various knitting and craft evenings, where everyone can express themselves in their own way, accompanied by a hot chocolate – there’s something homely about over 50 people from completely different parts of the world coming together for a while in Sammatz and enjoying autumn to the fullest!
In this moment we realise that the impulse of a few people can have an effect on a whole group. We are very grateful for our extremely creative group, which is currently making volunteering a unique community experience within the community!
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A visit from Tamera!
We have had various visitors from other communities since last year. We now know a lot of great projects in Germany and beyond that are often quite different from us, but not least because of which they are super exciting.
And then there are a few communities that we feel more connected to because a similar wind blows there, the same values, goals and paths light up when we talk to each other. Tamera is one such community. We have been following the movements emanating from the community for a long time, since their first steps together in the 1980s. A very open-hearted, deeply human and courageous community that is not only committed to spreading humanity through love, but also to global peace (a mammoth task that they are taking on in a really great way).
In October, Monika Alleweldt, a Tamera member since the ‹Bauhütte› days, paid us a visit and left us truly inspired. She told us very honestly about her story and that of the community. About how important trust is between people and within the community and how difficult it can sometimes be to maintain it.
Thank you, Monika, for your admirable openness, even where it is vulnerable.
For more information about Tamera, please click here, or simply read her book. |
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Michaelshof Up-To-Date – all opening hours at a glance!
Arche-Hof:
Mon-Sun 9.00 – 19.00
Café:
Mon-Fri 8.00 – 11.00
12.30 – 18.00
Sat 8.00 – 18.00
Sun & holidays 9.30 – 18.00
(we are open all winter – plan your trip to us!)
Farm Shop:
Mo-So 10.00 – 12.30
14.00 – 19.00
Der WAGEN in Lüneburg:
Wed & Sat 07.00 – 13.00
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Already thinking about Christmas presents?
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Then pick up the phone and give us a call or send us an email – we’ll be happy to advise you! From teas or chutneys for the entire workforce to lavish hampers for loved ones, we have everything your Christmas gift heart desires!
Or how about a Michaelshof sponsorship as a gift? From animals to the gardens, support for Peronnik and research in our Eichenhof, there’s something for everyone! In addition to a sponsorship certificate, every sponsor receives an invitation to our annual sponsorship day with lots of information and delicious food. Simply become a sponsor online and we will send your sponsorship certificate directly to your home in time for Christmas!
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Like every year, we’re sending you a few Apple Day impressions to take home with you! There were plenty of apples to marvel at at Herrman Stolberg’s apple exhibition, delicious apple pie and waffles, ice cream, various savoury treats and pastries. The harvest stand and the many apple, cherry and pear trees created a real harvest festival atmosphere. The many exciting children’s activities and the huge bouncy castle made the Sammatz Apple Day a festival for young and old, always accompanied by great background music. The highlight: the little apple press, where the kids flexed their muscles and earned some delicious apple juice! Will you be there next year?
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Our soil
The soil is alive! Or is it?! Our future depends on answering this very question and highlighting the many measures that we as farmers can contribute! Because perhaps the most important aspect of ecology takes place right at the bottom: In the humus layer of the soil. Since people have realised that healthy soil is not only great for yields, but also binds large amounts of carbon, which is responsible for global warming as carbon dioxide in the air, everyone who cares about the earth is also a climate activist.
‘Regenerative agriculture’ is the buzzword under which pioneers such as Benedikt Bösel in Brandenburg and many others have made it their mission to heal the soils depleted by conventional agriculture. (It is absolutely worth reading his book ‹ Rebellen der Erde›!)The cows in particular are important on the path to a positive rebellion, as many of them have so far been unfairly denounced as ‘climate sinners’. As Bösel rightly says, the system that grows unhealthy fodder on huge areas of land to fatten the crammed animals for mass production is sick. But the cow, which eats its grass on pasture, is actually one of the most important soil improvers, and therefore climate saviours, that we know of thanks to its manure. You just have to think of cows, soil and fields together as an organism and bring them into the right relationship.
The microclimate, carbon reduction in the atmosphere and, of course, healthy food depend on living soil. |
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We urgently need a future-oriented soil movement, not least because of these shocking figures: Currently, one third of the global land area is eroding, and 25,000 km2 are still being added every year. Even in Germany, only 10-15% of agricultural land is farmed organically, and sadly that is not automatically regenerative.
So: Farm rebellion is the order of the day!
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As a biodynamic farm, we have been working on the quality of our soil for 30 years and have been able to improve the soil quite a bit with compost and preparations. And much more can happen!
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Events & Seminare im November
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Sat., 4. November 11-17.00
Our soil
‘Soil’ is a very fine thing – all life on the planet depends on an average of 20 cm of humus!
How can we improve our soils instead of continuing to deplete them? We will look at humus quality, biological forms of soil structure and ‘image-creating methods’ to visualise the quality of the soil.
You will have the opportunity to familiarise yourself with the effectiveness of biodynamic preparations through some practical experiences with stirring barrels, spraying preparations and the like! We look forward to an intensive weekend centred on living soil!
Admission free, donations welcome
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Sat., 11. November 11-17.00
Peace talks 3
The Sammatz Peace Talks are also about the current war situation, but more about the question: ‘What can each and every one of us contribute to peace in the world? It’s not easy, because we have to learn to take up the fight with ourselves. We will find out together what this means in practical terms.
We’ll start with ideas and then get talking. Let’s think the right things together, talk and listen intensively and develop a deeper understanding of peace. It all starts with the lowest and at the same time highest common denominator: our own souls!
Admission free, donations welcome
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Sat., 18. November 11-17.00
Farm animal festival – Our ark animals in autumn
The animals return to their stables, invigorated by the glorious sunlight that is so important for their lives – something that is still little recognised today. An agricultural year comes to an end and we look back together:
- Animals need light and air! About species-appropriate animal husbandry
- The weather – the joys and sorrows of farmin
- What actually is a farm? Soil, plants, animals and humans as organism
- Wool, sausage and cheese – the farm as a producer
Outside it is soon dark and usually damp and cold. But the wonderful ark animals will certainly give us some of the summer energy they have absorbed so deeply.
Admission free, donations welcome
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Did you already know…
…Johanna?
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Johanna moved to Sammatz at the age of 18 while still at school to live with her best friends, who grew up here. She had always fancied art, but doing something tangible with cool young people in the community felt more right.
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Since then, she has been fully committed to the project and initially spent a lot of time outdoors: the gardens, Peronnik and the beginning of agriculture, but Johanna was also enthusiastic about the academy work from the very beginning. Above all, nature and people!
Over the years, Johanna has not only become popular with the Peronnik children, but also with the school children in the garden. Her determined yet super humorous manner is just right for long afternoons in the garden.
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After several years in the finance team, she has been working in the overall organisation of agriculture for a few months now. Her great love is farming, but she is also in her element when she is out cutting grass with the big tractor or spending time with the animals. The busy woman lives out her musical side as the bandleader and violinist of the Sammatz Combo. And sometimes she still gets down to (drawing) art, for a great birthday card or for project designs, such as for a new playground or the outdoor design at Flachsenberg. She’s the woman for it! A woman with many talents and interests. Nice to live with you, Johanna!
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Open your ears!
As every month, we take you into our musical world and link a few songs from the community: Music tips from…
…Hannah: ‹Make sure you listen to the awesome mix by Udo Lindenberg and Apache with Komet.›
…Anna: ‹Do you already know the Pierce Brothers? A hot tip from my time in Australia, including didgeridoo interludes. In fact, they were the opening act for the brilliant…›
Tash Sultana! (music tip from Asli) ‹With James Dean she brings you some really light summer feelings.›
…Anton: ‹Also this month you’ll get Chilly Gonzales music from me, this time with Nos Meilleure Vies. It’s definitely worth watching the video too! And also a very catchy tune that lives rent free in the community: Savage Daughter.›
…Emmanuel: ‹Not too well known, but pretty cool: Megaloh with In diesem Leben!›
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+++ NEWSTICKER +++
Impressions from everyday community-life…
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…first from the tropical greenhouse with the beautiful angel trumpets (look great, but are poisonous – don’t sniff them for too long!)…
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…a curious goat and an epic tractor morning moment!
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Rudolf is the first worker on our next construction site in the Mainhouse. First, all the windows are repaired and repainted. It was definitely more work than we thought, but it was worth it!
Soon Bjarne, Michael and Sandro will join Rudolf and finally start putting up walls again on the first floor of the very first Michaelshof building!
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…two similarly interesting everyday situations: Finn as a ‘relaxed helper’ with Anton and Chara from Greece, who prefers to practise her cello in the empty house after her construction day.
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…Caro is happy about her Latino birthday cake and Sara and Gaby are very satisfied when they have managed to choose the same outfits without planning to do so!
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…& last but not least, beautiful community moments in black and white with Ivonne, Polet, Christian and Marcus (from left).
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Grund Nr. 5: Living utopia meets Xavin!
Michaelshof is there to provide fertile ground for good ideas. It’s all about encounters, honesty, enthusiasm, friendship, healthy food and much more. With your help, we can keep this utopia alive and keep realising new projects, not only for the community at Michaelshof, but also in the surrounding area. Dream big!
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Xavin offers you a proven platform to invest sustainably, socially and sensibly! Not only can you invest your money at 4.7 – 5% interest over 5 years, but you can also support the opening of the eighth Peronnik residential group with other friends, acquaintances and sponsors of Michaelshof! This will give another 5-6 children a safe, colourful and loving home in Sammatz!
With the loan amount of €300,000, we will be able to design the surrounding outdoor facilities in addition to completing the necessary residential building. In our 23 years of Peronnik experience, the beautiful and wholesome setting in the form of gardens and a playground has proven to be a very important element of our pedagogy and should also improve the quality of life for the children at Flachsenberg.
Here we go: You can participate via the crowd loan platform Xavin from an investment of €100! In this way, Xavin has already enabled many initiatives to realise their great projects.
We look forward to your support!
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Since I’ve been working more in the food sector, I’ve also been focussing more on the topic of food itself. With production processes, cycles, transport and much more. These are things that normal supermarket customers hardly ever have a chance to be transparent about, or you quickly end up in a jungle of information that often leads halfway around the world. Things are very different here on the farm. ‘Where does the cheese actually come from?‘ – I first point to the cowshed (sometimes the ladies are out grazing until they come back in the evening), then to the milking parlour next door, then left again to the dairy, where the cow’s milk is pumped directly from the pipeline into the dairy, and then finally to the farm shop, where there is a large cheese counter with our own cheese. That’s it. There are no complicated and, above all, no lengthy routes. It all happens within 20 metres of the farm. Until then: 0 transport costs, 0 transport emissions! This is how delicious, regional Demeter cheese is made!
Knowing what cows look like and how they move, how to grow carrots, what it takes to raise a chicken until it lays a single egg, how strenuous it is for the baker to knead the dough or mould the bread rolls – unfortunately, all of this is no longer commonplace. You don’t learn this in kindergarten, at school and certainly not at university (unless you’re studying agriculture, of course). But this is knowledge that each of us MUST acquire in a world in which we will soon be debating mega issues such as food supply, water scarcity and much more.
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For our team, we are looking for committed and dynamic people who like to take on responsibility and have a passion for rural life. Is a meaningful job more important to you than a “9 to 5 job”? Then you’ve come to the right place!
We are looking for specialists or interns in the following areas:
Social:
- Teacher
- Educator / Social Worker
Office:
Hands-on:
- Gardener
- Construction Worker
- Janitor
- Baker
- Food-Manager
Your qualification is not listed, but you are still interested? Just give it a try!
Send your application with a picture to claudia.brady@sammatz.de – we’ll get back to you!
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Already over?!
(That’s exactly how Oskar feels after snacking all the goodies)
Don’t worry, the next newsletter will be coming soon! Until then: dress warmly and come and see us!
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Lots of greetings and til next time
Anna
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