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Stories from agricultural & social internships at Michaelshof…
…and how you can support our future interns
We often tell you about our international coliving with our volunteers from all over the world. But what also characterises our everyday life are the many young people who come to Michaelshof for their internship. We host 25 school classes and more than 250 individual interns every year. Most of them do their agricultural internship with us and some also do their social internship in our children’s and youth home ‘Peronnik’.
The difference to the volunteers is that the pupils are often not with us voluntarily – who really wants to do a compulsory farm internship somewhere in the middle of nowhere at the age of 14? So, some of our interns need a bit of convincing at first. But rest assured: after a week, the vast majority of young people are on fire for the experience on the farm and within the community. They may not all have become gardening fans, but they will all have found their passion – the thing that excites them about country life. For some it’s the stables shift, for others it’s harvesting medicinal plants or working in the kitchen. Many young people blossom in the social work at Peronnik and for some, life in such a large international community is the coolest thing about the whole internship.
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No matter what it is, in the 6 years that we have been offering internships at Michaelshof, there have been hundreds of wonderful stories, from new friendships far beyond Germany, AHA moments in nature to important steps towards career choices. We are very happy about that!
Unfortunately, there are fewer and fewer farms in Germany that are able or willing to organise such an offer. It is therefore becoming increasingly difficult to find a suitable location for the agricultural internship. As a result, we are receiving more demand for internships every year – both from school classes and individual interns – and would like to respond to this by expanding a small school camp. As part of the project, we will be renovating an existing building to make it more energy-efficient, furnishing the rooms and giving the neighbouring playground and sports field a completely new shine.
With our project on the crowd-investing-platform Xavin we collected money for exactly this dream of ours and can’t wait to get into action. We’ll keep you updated!
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Do you remember the Xavin project for the eighth Peronnik group last winter? Here’s a little update:
The project centred around the completion of our last Flachsenberg house for our new Peronnik group and additionally also the design of the Flachsenberg outdoor facilities.
A lot has happened there since the successful project financing by Xavin! The new Peronnik residential group was able to move into the wonderfully pink house in June. The kids and their carers are delighted with the great big rooms and the beautiful ambience. Outside, the shaping of the outdoor facilities is continuing at full speed and now that our Landbauteam has planted several hundred beech elements, the next step is the pathway layout and further design, including cosy corners, a power place, a small playground and, of course, lots of flower beds, bushes and trees à la Michaelshof. The former building site chic on Flachsenberg is slowly but surely turning into a beautiful community housing estate. THANK YOU to everyone who took part in the project!
The before and after pictures speak for themselves:
Before, a storage area for construction machinery; after, a power place for young and old, a place where the Peronnik kids, the village kids and the whole community can come together and let off steam.
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Have you seen our beehives on the way to the Waldsee? We have two enthusiastic beekeepers, Janet and Anton, who are really looking forward to the bee year. In addition to our existing hive, which has luckily doubled in size, we have bought four more from near Lübeck. ‘The bees from Lübeck are early risers and are already busy in the early morning. Our local ones, on the other hand, are a bit bigger and tend to be active until later in the evening – so there are interesting differences between the characters of the hives,’ says Anton.
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In July, our bee team was also accompanied by Nat and Hugo from Chile, who keep bees there according to biodynamic principles. A really exciting exchange!
Normally, young hives in a new location do not produce as much honey in their first year as older colonies. However, two of the Lübeck colonies are already very active, which has enabled us to fill several jars of honey this year. It’s always a special moment for us when the sweet gold drips from the comb.
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Our honey is a very fine, light-coloured mixed honey from the Sammatz gardens. We see our bees foraging for nectar everywhere in the gardens. We can observe them on the native plants as well as on our ‘exotic’ plants, including the Virginian speedwell, the rhododendrons and the knotweed. The fact that our gardens are a biodiversity paradise for insects means that our bees never go hungry, even when it rains a little more or when the major honey plants (plants and trees such as lime or canola, which are the main food source for bees when in flower) are not in bloom.
For all those who are interested in honey: Sammatz honey is now available in our farm shop at Michaelshof – while stocks last.
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Interview with the farm…
…Sven, how is the harvest?
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Hello Sven, you’re always out until the evening now, can you say anything about the harvest?
Well, we’re not quite finished yet, but so far it’s looking pretty good considering the bad weather conditions in spring. We simply had very prolonged wet conditions in the winter/spring, and the grain is struggling with that. There is a lack of nutrients in the soil that have been washed out by the wet conditions, which then costs yield. But if you take that into account, we can be satisfied. Wheat and rye are not as productive as they could be under better conditions, but the barley will be good.
This year was a record rainfall year – do you notice that, for example with the weeds?
The rain in summer makes your heart smile, because everything grows better with every drop, but of course the weed pressure also increases. We had a lot to do with the weather. You set off in the morning and brush everything down nicely, but if it’s not dry for a few hours but rains again straight away, the weeds just start growing again. We had to spend a lot of time and effort driving through with the harrow.
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And less watering?
Yes, we only drove through the crops once during the dry week in May, but that was really it.
The farmers’ organisations are complaining about brown rust in the cereals and late blight in the potatoes.
We have grown slightly fewer potatoes this year as we are just starting the harvest. The warm and humid weather has already damaged the plants, but fortunately the potatoes were already at a stage where it will be OK for the harvest. We won’t have any grain failures due to brown rust or similar. Now we have to wait for the quality samples for everything that will be used as baking grain.
As far as the weather is concerned, I’m of the opinion that this is another normal summer. If I remember, 12 or 13 years ago we always had rain, as a child I didn’t even know about sprinklers. What’s missing are the long, warm nights when you can harvest late into the evening. It gets clammy quickly, you have to wait until midday for the dew to come out.
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What about the hay?
It was really difficult to find the right weather for haymaking due to the many rainy days. You’ll notice that in the quality, but we didn’t have a total failure. We definitely have good forage, but finding four days of dry weather for harvesting was not easy. We’ll have a second cut soon, let’s see.
We still have a hectare of buckwheat and, as I said, more grassland to cut, but we should be through that in the next two weeks.
Thank you very much, we wish you a few nice dry days for the next hay!
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Do you already know our all-rounder Emmanuel? You can find him almost everywhere in the village. No wonder, because the 30-year-old was born in Sammatz and has always had a keen interest in any work that is done in the community. Back then, he and Daniel were on the mat straight after school and wanted to get involved in building the gardens with the newly formed ‘gardener’s team’.
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Today, he is one of our best jumpers whenever there are projects to be realised. Be it in the Landbau Special Force team, as a lawnmower coordinator for all garden areas, or sometimes as a construction site supervisor. When the Blue House and the House of Nature were being built, he wore the construction site hat and worked with Marc and the international construction team to develop every last corner of the house. But his absolute favourite area is definitely the food area. From the bakery to the meat area, in the dairy washing cheese or with Ivonne setting up our new logistics centre – Emmanuel is passionate about food and the art of production. About four years ago, he also helped to set up the market trolley in Lüneburg and to this day, nobody knows as much about the burger kitchen in the café as he does. A true ‘foodie’, after all!
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Emmanuel is an absolute sports fan and can be seen with a ball in his hand or on his foot every free minute of the summer. His absolute passion is playing football with the Peronnik kids or being on the volleyball court with the volunteers.
One of his most remarkable skills is his huge heart for children – he makes the best jokes and actually draws everyone out of their shell. That’s why he’s mainly the cool uncle for the kids at Peronnik, where everything is just that little bit different and somehow funnier.
Merci Emmanuel! For your versatility and your huge love of getting to the bottom of things, no matter in what area!
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Kamyla from Brazil
Volunteer stories…
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Hello, my name is Kamyla. I am Brazilian and I have lived all my life in a big city, Fortaleza. In 2019, my brother Iago was a volunteer in Sammatz. He called me and said: “You have to see this place. It’s magical!”
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At the time, I was studying hard for a big exam for my future job. Leaving everything behind for three months and travelling to Germany in the middle of nowhere seemed crazy. But I did it.
I fell in love with Sammatz from the very first step (😂) and somehow, I felt connected again, I felt at home.
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I worked in almost all areas at first. But my biggest curiosity was working in construction. One day I asked if that was possible and got a YES. Since then, I’ve been building houses and renovating everything you can imagine. I learn something new every day and have a lot of fun.
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Sammatz has been my home since 2019. People have always listened to me here and welcomed me with open arms. I’ve developed as a person and in my work.
I’m glad to have had this experience and I’m grateful for everything I’ve experienced here. ❤️
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Family & farm festival…
– a short event review from July!
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It was super beautiful here on the penultimate weekend of the month!
With 30° on both days it was quite hot, but we provided various water games for refreshment. As always, the bouncy castle and the animal activities at the Ark farm were the absolute highlights for the kids. But the little ones also got their money’s worth with crate climbing, can throwing, our colourful play area, face painting and story time with Nele.
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New to the festival were our magical fairies, who played with the kids, and our online shop stand, where there were all sorts of prizes to be won!
The festival was accompanied by live music, delicious food and a great atmosphere. See you next time!
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Salami from the goat
Our goat salami is made from the best organic goat meat and offers a particularly aromatic flavour. This salami is perfect for gourmets looking for a special taste experience – as part of an exquisite charcuterie platter or as a special extra in sandwiches.
Be sure to try!
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Lavender oil
Our lavender care oil is made from high-quality, organic lavender, which is known for its regenerative properties. This oil is wonderfully suitable for daily skin care, supports relaxation and promotes a healthy complexion. The lavender care oil can also be used for a soothing massage or as a calming bath additive.
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Michaelshof up to date – all opening hours at a glance!
Arche-Hof:
Mo-So 9.00 – 19.00
Café:
Mo-Sa 8.00 – 18.00
So & Feiertags 9.30 – 18.00
Hofladen:
Mo-Sa 10.00 – 19.00
So & Feiertags 10.00 – 19.00
Der WAGEN in Lüneburg:
Mi & Sa 07.00 – 13.00
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Sat., 10 & Sun., 11 August – 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Volunteer Festival
Our Volunteer Festival is all about internationality! Every year, volunteers from all over the world visit us – in the last year from 63 different nations – and spend ‘the time of their lives’ here, sometimes even finding ‘a second home’ in Sammatz.
This weekend you have the opportunity to really immerse yourself in the international flair of Michaelshof. Look forward to
- Inspiring contributions: Some of our volunteers will talk about their country, about customs and traditions, about nature and their living conditions.
- Hear moving stories from former and current volunteers. What has changed in their lives, what does the future look like?
- Open Space: We create a space for lively dialogue. The Open Stage will also be opened when the stage is cleared for spontaneous musical interludes after the Concierto Internacional.
- International food – there’s something tasty for everyone!
Get ready for a weekend full of wow-moments, interesting input, lots of action and certainly also contemplative situations.
Admission free, donation requested!
With Anna, Antonia, Hannah, Asli
Just drop by!
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Sat., 10 August 7 pm
Concierto Internacional
The Concierto Internacional invites you to get to know the international, spontaneous, creative and above all musical side of Michaelshof! Every year, many talented musicians come to Sammatz to share their art with us at a private concert or an evening jam session in the volunteer house.
We want to share this experience with you! We don’t yet know who will be performing, but it will certainly be a colourful mix of different musical genres and artists. An informal and varied concert for everyone!
Free entry, donation requested!
With Anna & Hans Michel
Just drop by!
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Sat., 17 August – 11-17 h
Is there a problem? Sexuality & Love – Let’s talk 2
‘Let’s talk’ – the seminar in which we talk openly about ‘private’ topics and share personal experiences. Today: ‘Love and sexuality’.
We are frequently stuck in our own castles – often with our partner – where everyone else is far away and criticism is difficult to get through. Couldn’t we be completely open about our relationship in modern cohabitation? When it comes to sexuality, do we strive to fulfil fantasies from films and television or do we dare to bring our emotional life into our sexuality? Let’s talk about it!
Admission free, donation requested! Plus €10 for lunch
With Hannah & Anton
Registration required!
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Sat., 24 August – 11-17 hrs
Cooking with Lea – Hands-On
We invite you to a cooking course with Lea! After a walk together to the Sammatz vegetable field including exciting information about vegetable cultivation, you will return to the communal kitchen at Michaelshof with full baskets. You will prepare a vegetarian menu including starter and dessert from the fruits of summer.
Regional, seasonal, sustainable and above all super tasty – join us on this culinary adventure!
Admission free, donation requested! Contribution costs for the menu: €12
With Lea
Registration required!
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I’ve been living in the Blue House for two years now, in our volunteer house with over 50 beds for young (and older) volunteers from all over the world. It’s actually one of the nicest ways of life I’ve lived here in Sammatz and anywhere else in the world. I have my own little flat and bathroom in the Blue House, but apart from that I’m right in the middle of the hustle and bustle of our maximally international volunteer household, so to speak.
The nice thing is that I know the Michaelshof volunteer life from my own experience, so I know exactly how the volunteers feel when they arrive, slowly get used to the large and sometimes a bit (😉) chaotic house, make their first friends and then, after a week, welcome the new volunteers with open arms. I remember how crazy it can feel that the communal kitchen is practically impossible to keep clean with so many people, even if many people are committed to this goal – it is and remains a mystery. I know the jam sessions until dawn, the game evenings and the late-night walks, the language barriers and the pantomime-like solutions that go with them. The many moments during the day when someone smiles at you as you walk through the gardens and the Tuesday meetings where you have to greet the new volunteers and say goodbye to friends you have grown to love. The state of permanently-sweaty-and-dirty when you are often registered in the garden or at the stables and the feeling of an endless perfect summer.
To be able to accompany these experiences from afar and yet as a ‹house mum›, to see the joy of discovery in many eyes and to be there at the right moment from time to time, is pricelessly beautiful and the volunteer life is an absolute enrichment every day, even for us old hands!
At the Volunteer Festival from Sat. 10 to Sun. 11 August, you will also have the chance to immerse yourself in volunteer life at Michaelshof. With talks about our volunteers’ home countries and traditions, music, food from all over the world and a dance class or two, we will show you the diversity of our Blue House and, above all, its residents!
You will also have the opportunity to talk to some of our volunteers and practise your English, Spanish, French or Turkish. Just drop by from 11 am to 5 pm, on Saturday also for the Concierto Internacional at 7 pm!
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We are looking for committed and dynamic people for our team who like to take on responsibility and enjoy country 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:
Soziales:
- Teacher
- Educator / social worker
Office:
Hands-on:
- Service help in the café at Michaelshof
- Gardener
- Baker
- Wood processing & sales
- Pharmacist
- Library & Archive
- Image & text editor
- Printer & laminator
Your qualification is not listed and you are still interested? Just give us a try!
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+++ NEWSTICKER +++
Impressions from everyday community life…
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…last weekend we had our well-attended medicinal plant walk, where we were able to share our knowledge about medicinal plant farming and manufacturing…
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…as always, our gardens provide an incredible backdrop that inspires our social media team…
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…this is how colourful the vegetable field looks at the moment…
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…our calves marvel at the new off-road golf cart and enjoy the lush grass…
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…and finally a real Michaelshof idyll with the forest lake at sunset and Toni, our billy goat…
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Reason no. 13: There’s something for everyone with our sponsorships!
Have you ever wondered how you can help Michaelshof? The gardens are freely accessible, the whole site is family-friendly, the ark farm is run with a big heart for the animals and the organic produce is simply delicious.
We have the perfect idea for you! Simply take out a Michaelshof sponsorship and support your favourite area from the farm animals to the cultural area to the children’s and youth home ‘Peronnik’ with amounts between €60 and €600 per year. By doing so, you help to maintain Michaelshof as a non-profit, ecological-social project!
As soon as you have completed a sponsorship, you will receive a personalised sponsorship certificate and an invitation to our annual sponsorship day. A sponsorship is also the perfect gift for your loved ones!
For more information, simply browse through our sponsorship homepage – we look forward to your support!
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…we wish you all a great August with lots of warm days and plenty of cooling off!
Best wishes from the bed and see you next time – Anna ❤️
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