Michaelshof Newsletter Nr. 52, December 2024

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Nr. 10 / MAI 2021
                                   Nr. 52 / DECEMBER 2024
Winter thoughts…
…on the third week of Advent!

Advent is when we can already see the Christ Child beckoning to us. Don’t you think so too? Everything is sparkling and glistening. The children’s faces are already radiant with anticipation. Gifts are being bought, secrets are being shared. The scent of biscuits is in the air. Christmas markets are calling. Countless little lights everywhere, on the houses, in the houses, on the streets, on the trees, they all shine brightly and promise a Merry Christmas soon. What a wonderful time, advent! It really does help us to get through the darkest time of the year. The time when the days are at their shortest and darkness seems to have the upper hand. But it is precisely then that we can experience the power of light, when it is darkest.
Have you ever looked up at the evening sky at this time of year? Doesn’t the canopy of heaven shine even more, don’t the stars twinkle much brighter, more comforting than usual? Starlight is a very special light. It always makes us feel a little awestruck, a little like we’re sensing the divine, and gives us a feeling of security, protection and safety. Don’t all the little lights that we now light everywhere, however small, mimic the starlight? So, despite, or perhaps because of, the hustle and bustle of the run-up to Christmas, take time to look up at the starry sky once a day and enjoy the warming canopy of heaven.
Light and warmth are the two qualities that carry us through Advent.
Our festival of lights last weekend addressed both of these winter longings. The fire bowls kept us warm and the light installations between the café and the Waldsee fascinated young and old alike. The atmosphere at the forest lake was almost magical when the warm yellow lights were reflected in the lake, conjuring up a beauty never seen before.
A festival to marvel at! It is precisely in this pre-Christmas mood that we can so wonderfully sense what happened here on earth two thousand years ago, what light and what love was brought to earth with the Christ Child.
 
We wish you all a contemplative start to the Advent season, full of friendship, love, hope, warmth and light!

Christmas Opening Hours:

Saturday, 21. December:
Christmas market         12.00 – 18.00
Café                              08.00 – 21.00 

Sunday, 22. December:
Christmas market         12.00 – 18.00
Café                              09.30 – 21.00  Buffet from 9.30

Monday, 23. December:
Café                              10.00 – 18.00 
Christmas play (theatre)            18.00

Tuesday, 24. December:
Café                              10.00 – 16.00 
Hofladen                       10.00 – 12.00 
Christmas play (theatre)            16.00

Wednesday, 25. December:
Café                              09.30 – 21.00 Buffet from 9.30
Farm shop                    12.00 – 18.00 

Thursday, 26. December:
Café                              09.30 – 21.00
Farm shop                    12.00 – 18.00 




The first snow…
…Volunteer stories
Every year, we are able to accompany some of our international volunteers as they marvel at the first snow of their lives! Enthusiastic, childlike and honest exclamations of pure amazement can be heard throughout the gardens: 
‹This is my first snow!›
Then everything stands still for a few minutes at Michaelshof and everyone runs outside to let the cold snowflakes fall on their faces, to stick their tongue into the snow for the first time, to form the first snowball and then, how could it be otherwise: to start the first snowball fight. We were also there, live, in November with Sinead from Ireland, Victor and Leonardo from Brazil, Pashwa from Malawi, Ahmed from Egypt, Ilaria from Italy, Usoa from Spain, Mariona from Argentina and many more
More Volunteering-Infos: HERE!




Selma Lagerlöf Schule…
…busy pre-Christmas atmosphere
…there is crafting, rehearsing and baking – everyone has their place and some also bake cookies. What for? Oh, two important events are coming up!
 
On 15 December, the romantic Christmas market will take place around the Wietzetze village church. And the ‘Selma’ is proud to be part of it, as it also means that she already belongs to the village community. She will provide coffee and cake and, of course, homemade items. So come and visit!
Our school will also be represented at the Christmas market at Michaelshof, with homemade items from the sewing project, biscuits, jewelry cards, calendars and much more. On Sat., 21st & Sun., 22nd December from 12.00-18.00 the time has come!
 

Construction Site Update…
…what has happened so far!
Haven’t heard from our construction team for a while? That’s right! We’ve been pretty busy and today we want to give you a little update on the last few weeks and months!
Our five-year construction project, the Flachsenberg settlement with its 14 houses, has been finished since February and its residents enjoy the colourful little houses with their special flair every day.
 
Outside, our construction team is currently making everything beautiful and designing the outdoor area with its paths, Mediterranean design elements, play and sports facilities and, of course, lots of plants and flowerbeds à la Michaelshof.
 
But in the rest of the village, too, there was a lot of digging and hammering, painting and building in some places:

Our new energy dream team, the heating system ‘Heizomat’ and the CHP (combined heat and power plant), are now connected and supply the Michaelshof facilities with electricity, heat and hot water in an efficient and intelligent way.
The vegetable team is very happy about a new foil tunnel in the field. This will give them more opportunities to grow nutritious winter vegetables in the coming months and create even more perfect conditions for many delicate plants in the summer.
In the main house, a major project requiring a great deal of attention to detail and inventiveness will come to an end in December. The work has definitely paid off and with our volunteer construction team, led by experts, we were able to give the upper floor of our Michaelshof building a modern look, which will house many creative ideas in the future as office and conference rooms!
 
What’s next? The next few months will be taken up with our tiny house project and a surprise or two!

 
…Susanne?
Originally, she wanted to become a sculptor. But because this work has always had the reputation of being a non-lucrative art, she changed direction and became a Demeter vegetable gardener. Susanne was employed as a medicinal plant gardener at Wala in Bad Boll for seven years. In winter she was also involved in the production of remedies and worked in the medicinal plant laboratory. Nevertheless, the down-to-earth, warm-hearted Swabian never really turned her back from art and beauty.

Even at WALA, she was responsible for flower arrangements and decoration. Here at Michaelshof, this is a large part of her work. She brings the magic of flowers and their scent, the flair of the gardens in Sammatz to the houses, on the tables, in the dining room and in the café at Michaelshof. Whether it’s a wedding, birthday, celebration, annual festival or courtyard party, Susanne is always involved as a flower fairy! All the festivals would hardly be complete without her flowers, but also her contribution to our Sammatzer Combo.
For three years she has been responsible for the tea section in the medicinal plant factory at Michaelshof. When the harvest season starts, Susanne disappears into the laboratory! Lemon balm, camomile, rose petals, lime blossoms, raspberry leaves, St. John’s wort, sage, mint, lavender… Fragrant herbs, leaves and blossoms all need to be picked by hand at the right time, gently dried, rubbed, cut and processed into delicious tea blends and packaged. Susanne rocks it! She is an integral part of the calm, soothing, almost meditative working atmosphere on the upper floor of the Eichenhof, where the warmth of the wood-burning stove and the intense scent of herbs pervade the rooms.
Sometimes Susanne has visitors – guests or volunteers – who take a tour of the factory. Then she likes to chat about her work, show the individual steps, and let her guests immerse themselves in the world of teas and herbs. And she impresses with her incredible knowledge of plants. There is hardly a little flower or herb that she cannot say a few words about. She is delighted when visitors – rapt and filled with what they have been smelling, hearing, seeing and tasting with all their senses – thank her sincerely when they leave. Then she knows she has done everything right.
 
  
Because that is what she sees as her task: to create a space where people can feel at home, touched by the beauty and essence of the plant world.

 
The current garden situation…
…TULPEN as far as the eye can see!

 
We have now become real experts when it comes to tulip planting. Before we start, an excited feeling of anticipation coupled with a fear of the wet spreads through the ranks. But for most of us, the joy of this annual community project, the good conversations in the mud and the cheering after each completed garden area clearly outweighs these feelings.
 
This year, too, the first task was to unload everything at the House of Nature and assign the bulbs to the respective garden areas – the work for the cool heads with brawn to distribute the boxes (which even the smallest hard-working helper likes…).
The gardening cart is then used to pick up one garden area after another, which the distribution team then divides up into the beds (taking care to ensure that there is enough space between the bulbs and, above all, that the bed is evenly stocked!). The planting team, equipped with hand spades, knee cushions and mud trousers, then plants them – piece by piece, planting hole by planting hole.
 
We were blessed with great weather during the first few days of our project. Keep your fingers crossed that it continues like this and look forward with us to a spring full of colourful crocuses, daffodils and tulips in the Michaelshof Gardens!

Pssssst secret tip:
Are you already thinking about your spring holiday in 2025? Reserve one of our eight guest rooms now for the tulip season between 15 March and 15 May! Be quick and book your springtime bliss at Michaelshof!
Book your guest room here!

 
Michaelshof up to date – all opening hours at a glance!


Arche-Hof: 
Mon-Sun                           9.00  – 19.00

Café:

Mon-Thu                           8.00 – 11.00 
                                        14.00 – 18.00

Sat                                   8.00 – 21.00
Sun & holidays                 9.30 – 21.00

Hofladen:
Wed & Sat                      10.00 – 19.00
Sun & holidays               10.00 – 19.00

                       
Der WAGEN in Lüneburg:
Wed & Sat                       7.00 – 13.00

 
By the way: these three friends not only shine confidently on their own, but also all together on the bread!
 
Cheese: Weidegold
Here comes our favourite slightly tangy cheese! The Demeter milk from our Angler Red cattle is processed into this thaler-shaped semi-hard cheese in the Michaelshof dairy right next door. Our Weidegold is a great rustic add-on to salads, for snacks or for gratinating.
 
Topping: Jalapeño rings
Our Jalapeño rings in a jar bring a taste of Latin America straight to your home! With their sweet, sour and spicy flavour, they are a hit on any sandwich and make cheese nachos a very special experience. Definitely try them!
 
Dip: Peperonisauce
For lovers of hot culinary delights: Sammatzer Peperonisauce! Our red-orange insider tip goes wonderfully with anything you like a bit spicier. Our pepperoni sauce, made from sun-ripened Demeter peppers from Michaelshof, is simply fabulous on cheese sandwiches, in sauces or with your favourite lunch. For that certain something!
 
Order now in our online shop



December Events
 
Sat., 21. & Sun., 22. December – 12-18.00 
Sammatz Christmas Market

Instead of falling for the Christmas hype, we would like to get into the mood for the miracle that happened in Bethlehem more than two thousand years ago: at the Christmas market at Michaelshof, which is taking place so shortly before Christmas.
You certainly won’t find a conventional Christmas market in Sammatz – cosy and family-friendly, without mulled wine, but with hot punch and lots of good cheer. So we give ourselves and all visitors to Sammatz a Christmas market with lots of atmosphere, beautiful lighting, nice stalls with beautiful and tasty things from Michaelshof, the bookshop and the children’s corner with candle making and, of course, the ever-popular raffle. Don’t miss the Christmas music from our choir & trumpet.
 
Admission free, donations welcome!
 
With Hannah, Janet and Anna
Just come along!

Mon., 23. December 18.00 & Tue., 24. December 16.00 
Oberufer Christmas Play

On 23 and 24 December, we will be performing an almost 400-year-old rural Christmas play at the House of Nature, which is equally popular with children and adults, with guests from the neighbourhood or from the other side of the world. With its rustic language and hearty spirituality, it touches us deeply every year.
 
Admission is free, donations are requested!
Just come along!

Tue., 31. December – 15-24.00
New Year’s Eve at Michaelshof – We celebrate the New Year together!

New Year’s Eve at Michaelshof offers space to take a look at the past year together – both externally and internally. What has the world been dealing with, what’s next? Where are the rays of hope and what should we urgently talk about? Where do I actually stand in my life right now? And where does the world stand?
At our New Year’s Eve party, the whole community comes together! Be there when everyone prepares and celebrates together – first in the big kitchen preparing the buffet, decorating and everything that goes with it. The evening programme ranges from colourful to contemplative: there is something for everyone!
Experience New Year’s Eve in a completely different way, far away from loud bangs and alcohol. A ‘bang’ of a special kind!
 
Admission free, donations welcome!
 
With Anna, Claudia, Hannah & Felix
Registration required!

Register directly for the event!
Save the date – Grüne Woche 2025 

The ‹Internationale Grüne Woche› will take place in Berlin from 17 to 26 January 2025. The fair will feature 1,400 exhibitors from 60 countries, presenting their country, region, people and culinary specialities. It is a global hub for agribusiness, where exciting innovations in agriculture, culinary arts and tourism are presented. Michaelshof will also be there next year!

Visit us from Friday 17 to Wednesday 22 January at stand 114 in hall 20 (Lower Saxony)!
We are looking for committed and dynamic people for our team who enjoy taking on responsibility and have a desire for 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 skilled workers or talented people in the following areas:
 
        Office:
  • Accountant
  • Picture editor
     
        Hands-on:
  • Baker
  • Confectioner
  • Gardener ornamental plants
  • Gardener trees, shrubs & lawn care
  • Construction worker
  • Landbau
  • Pharmacist
  • Printer & laminator
    
Your qualification is not listed but you are still interested? Just give it a try!
 
Please send your application with photo to claudia.brady@sammatz.de – we will be in touch!



+++ NEWSTICKER +++
Impressions from everyday community life…
…with scenes from the soil seminar in November with Ceri, Marianne and Nadja. A really great day with lots of enthusiasm for the soil and its structure, exciting experiments and lots of information and practical tips on regenerative agriculture…
…Lea in the middle of winter wonderland
a happy working day – whether herding cows or working in a café, it’s always full of variety…
…and a final photo from the Festival of Lights – because it was so beautiful!

 

Reason no. 17: Christmas present for Michaelshof

Support your favourite destination this Christmas! A thank you for cosy café afternoons with ice cream sundaes or cream cake, long walks in the free gardens in every season, family memories at the Ark Farm, for the work with the 48 children and young people of ‘Peronnik’, the educational work with interns and volunteers and for everything you personally appreciate about Michaelshof.
 
Please donate to our Michaelshof community. Your support is greatly appreciated!
 
Donate today!
Speaking of Christmas: Do you already know about our Michaelshof vouchers? They are the perfect gift for your nearest and dearest, whether they are already die-hard Michaelshof fans, or your voucher opens up new possibilities!
 
Give the gift of joy with our vouchers for the café, farm shop, online shop, market stall or the guest house at Michaelshof. Simply pick them up from us on site or order them now and receive them by post before Christmas!
Order gift voucher
This is what waiting for the school bus looks like at Michaelshof in the morning after the Festival of Lights – after the festival is before the festival! ✨❄️

 
Best regards and see you next time – Anna and Andrea ❤️


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Öffnungszeiten

Café
Das Café hat bis Mitte März geschlossen.
Hofladen
Mo. - Fr.: 10.00 - 19.00
Sa., So. und Feiertags: 10.00 - 19.00
Café
Das Café hat bis Mitte März geschlossen.
Hofladen
Mo. - Fr.: 10.00 - 19.00
Sa., So. und Feiertags: 10.00 - 19.00

Michaelshof Sammatz

Kontakt
Anschrift: Im Dorfe 11
29490 Sammatz
Tel.: +49 5858 970-30
Mail: info@sammatz.de
Spendenkonto
Michaelshof Stiftung
IBAN: DE08 2405 0110 0065 8023 32
BIC: NOLADE21LBG
Kontakt
Anschrift: Im Dorfe 11
29490 Sammatz
Tel.: +49 5858 970-30
Mail: info@sammatz.de
Spenden
Michaelshof Stiftung Sammatz
IBAN: DE08 2405 0110 0065 8023 32
BIC: NOLADE21LBG

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