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A true tulip celebration…
…our gardens in recent weeks!
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The tulip has been the most admired resident of Michaelshof over the past three weeks, as she currently blankets our gardens in all her splendor and variety. Each one tells a story – of the long winter spent maturing in the warm, dark soil, and of the springtime life she now celebrates with us. Some are delicate and small, others exuberantly lush, and all with their own unique colors and shapes! They could tell you all about how they arrived in our gardens, how much planning went into each location, and what the big gardening crew chatted about in November as they planted spring, spade by spade.
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These tulips already carry with them a centuries-old history – tales of adventurous journeys from the wild highlands of Asia down to Persia and Turkey. Of dangerous sea voyages that brought them, when they were once as valuable as gold, to the harbors of the Netherlands. And how they later made their way from palace gardens to people everywhere…
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For us, the tulip is more than just a spring flower. She sparks pure joy in life when we discover new tulip varieties on our daily garden strolls or when you, our guests, are thrilled by how beautiful it is at Michaelshof at the moment thanks to their brilliance. Then we know: yes, we did something right.
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Garden tip:
Warm weather is slowly but surely approaching – which also means the tulips are beginning to bow their lovely heads. So, if you’d still like to enjoy the tulip bloom at Michaelshof, hop in your car and come to Sammatz! One or maybe even two more weeks the elegant ladies with their extravagant heads will still grace us with their presence.
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Delight yourselves thoroughly…
…we’ll serve your dream catering menu!
What’ll it be? Salmon tartare as an opener, a leek soup as interlude, chateaubriand with potato gratin as the main act and panna cotta to top it off? How about your own organic breakfast buffet for your celebration party or hearty homemade fare for lunch? There’s (almost) no menu our catering service can’t conjure up for you – including location and flower arrangements. Have you ever thought about celebrating life’s special moments here at Michaelshof? Our pavilion, the pontoon on the forest lake, the ‹new café›, and the gallery in the courtyard café offer magical settings to dine and toast with your guests to your heart’s content.
Dreaming of a Mediterranean buffet? Or a culinary journey through 1001 nights? Maybe Käsespätzle and Maultaschen make your taste buds sing? Share your delicious menu dreams, budget ideas, and guest numbers with Claudia’s event team.
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With a minimum of 25 guests, our team will do everything to create a catering experience that hits the taste sweet spot for you and your guests. Of course, the number of guests depends on the location. Our pavilion, for instance, can host up to 50 people, while our café annex can accommodate about 35 guests.
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A breakfast buffet with Prosecco is just as possible as a festive dinner with an open-ended conclusion. We’re just as happy to serve your ordered wedding cake from our patisserie on the Waldsee terraces as we are in our pavilion, where it adorns a white coffee table surrounded by rose petals. What the complete artwork of food, drink, décor and venue will look like in the end is best developed in a personal conversation here at Michaelshof. We’d be happy to show you examples of successful past caterings with pricing and our different venues – indoors or outdoors, lavish or cozy, morning lark or nightingale, and always tailored to your vision.
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Welcome to lovely May…
…from our “Dance into May” celebration!
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Lovely month? Well, May is the month of the first truly warm days that lift our spirits and give us a taste of the coming summer. We greet it every year with the „Dance into May“ on April 30th – with folk music and traditional dances from around the world, danced together with our whole community, volunteers, interns, and guests. As always, with the self-made colorful headbands that young and old braid together in the afternoon, to then pass on to all our guests in the evening.
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At 7 p.m. it all kicked off – with a live band and our skilled dance leaders Caro, Gisela, and Antonia, who patiently taught everyone the steps. No problem if someone had never danced before – it’s all about the joy of sharing the experience! At times, a tasty fruit punch awaited dancers at the edge of the dance floor to offer some refreshment. And then it was back around the maypole again, where late into the evening the air was full of swirling ribbons, music, and joyful laughter.
Go ahead and mark your calendars for April 30, 2026 – when we’ll be dancing into May once again at Michaelshof!
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Tiny homes coming to life…
…tiny living near the forest
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Our community members had been tapping their feet impatiently – and now they’re ready: the first three tiny houses. Ready for move-in, they promise a cozy vibe within 13 square meters of living space.
Mountains of books, dishes, clothes, and knick-knacks – do I really need all of this? If you believe in the „simplify your life“ principle, life can be decluttered and thus made easier with a little willpower.
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Our tiny houses are practically an invitation to declutter. Then these small mobile space wonders reveal that even with limited square footage, a livable, charming retreat can be created without missing a thing. Everything you need is there: a small bathroom with a shower, a kitchenette, a sleeping loft, and a living space that can be arranged however you like.
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They offer room to chill, reflect, cook, dream, and enjoy solitude – while the colorful, communal life buzzes just outside the door. Built from wooden prefabricated parts that are easy to assemble independently and can be disassembled if necessary. No glue is used here – it’s all screws, allowing materials to be reused if desired. The wood floors float atop cork insulation and can easily be recycled.
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To keep summer heat outside and winter warmth inside, the tiny house walls are insulated to current energy standards – with cellulose, a durable, eco-friendly material made from paper.
Most heat escapes through the roof – houses are no different from people in that way.
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Just as we wear hats in winter, our tiny houses wear chic grass hats. They look great and provide effective thermal insulation. Since the green roofs are extensive and undemanding, they require little water.
Showering, cooking, thinking – humans produce quite a lot of steam. So much that simple ventilation isn’t enough to keep a tiny house in good shape. To channel moisture outside, we chose breathable straw interior paneling with clay plaster – ensuring a noticeably good indoor climate.
So, dear minimalists (and those aspiring to be): less is more – and sometimes worth a try. The tiny house living experiment is definitely one to consider.
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Do you know our community settlement on the Flachsenberg and wonder what colors made it onto the facades this time?
Maxi, our master painter, united the colors of the first three tiny houses and the community house on a single sweater – quite a vibrant combo!
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A taste trip into the green…
…spring vegetables from Sammatz
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No offense to cabbage, beets, and turnips, but it’s high time to add some light green shades to our plates. Our spring vegetables are eager to stir up your menu, awaken your taste buds, and give you a vitamin boost. Are you ready?
As the days grow longer, so does the craving for fresh, juicy greens on the plate. And it looks like you no longer need to hold back, because the first lettuce heads are already waiting in our polytunnel to enrich your meals. Our butterhead lettuces are announcing spring’s arrival and bringing a crunch to your salad bowls. A little oil and vinegar, salt and pepper – that’s all you need for a real taste of spring.
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The red and brown onions that got us through the winter are now getting some youthful company. Their spicy strength is appreciated, but now the spring onion brings a breath of fresh air to the kitchen – and to your potato salad. Garnished with its green rings, the ‹Flammkuchen› not only looks prettier but also stays true to tradition in flavor.
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And are there more delicate green leaves peeking through? Oh yes. Since we’ve been diligently pre-growing it, our spinach now feels ready to give the green light for harvest. The tender young vegetable bursts with vitamins and minerals and inspires the creative minds in the kitchen. Made into a buttery quiche with feta cheese, it delights not just the French gods, but also gourmets here at home. The delicate leaves also shine in a salad. Blended with garlic, parmesan, olive oil, pine nuts, and lemon zest, the refined veggie reveals its Italian side and makes a name for itself as spinach pesto at your table.
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Two proud vegetable gardeners in the lettuce field – and planting red cabbage ☺️
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Between soccer matches and mud play
A playground can never be too big. Ours definitely had room to grow – something we took care of this spring with the energetic help of our Landbauteam. Now the new setup is ready for action – full of thrills or more relaxed, but always lots of fun.
Yipiiiieeeeh. Off we go – zooming across the playground. The new zipline makes it happen. Just hang on, push off, and feel the ground vanish beneath your feet. That’s how play should be. At least for the older kids who instantly claimed the new attraction for themselves. Yes, Europlayer Express, wooden boat, and swings now have some serious competition.
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Our formerly calm, patient wooden playmates have been joined by some wild newcomers. Or to put it better: the playground now includes a space for teens to go wild and a quieter area for the littlest ones.
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A top favorite for all kids: wildly experimenting with sand and water and just getting gloriously muddy.
Right behind the zipline it’s “water on!” Combined with plenty of sand, our new mud area promises a mini mud battle – or civil sandcastle construction, depending on the mood.
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And what would a colorful place like this be without a soccer field? On a soft rubber surface that cushions every fall, intense matches can unfold! The first games have been played. The rematch is already planned – friendly, of course.
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Guest in the bakery…
…fired up for our bread
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It shakes and rattles and sways its metal hips: our retro-style bun-shaping machine has taken up its spot in the bakery and is giving it all she’s got. We love craftsmanship and handwork, but with growing demand, our bakers finally decided it was time for some electrical help. After all, the daily need for fresh rolls across all of Michaelshof skyrockets starting at 6 a.m.
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Our rustic wood-fired ovens, with their heavy cast-iron doors and brass handles, evoke the past. We set them up ourselves, having brought these heavyweight ovens from southern Germany – for good reason: the smoky aroma from burning beechwood, which heats the stone beneath our loaves, gives our bread its perfect crust and flavor.
By 8 a.m. the breads are finally ready – and so are we, because hearty bread doesn’t bake itself quickly. We start the pre-dough two days in advance, which eventually becomes the final dough. To shape and bake that, Jakob and his team rise between 1 and 4 a.m., bake lots and lots of bread, and then prepare the dough for the next day by midday.
Two mixers get all the Demeter ingredients kneaded and aerated. Metal tubs spin and lift to achieve the perfect dough texture. Every bread reacts differently to heat: wheat doughs love the fiery spiral mixer, but rye dough prefers to be lifted gently at lower temperatures.
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Of course, we cater to these needs – especially for our sourdoughs, which we cultivate ourselves. Like our animals, the sourdough needs regular care and feeding. In return, it gives us the next generation of sour loaves.
Breads from rye, wheat, and spelt, gluten-free or not, leavened with sourdough, yeast, or honey-salt mixtures, leave our bakery headed for the farm shop, café, guests, volunteers, and regional customers.
Stored properly, our baked goods stay fresh for days. They’re hearty, filling – and with your favorite spread, sweet or savory, pure happiness.
Tip: Just try it! Find our bread at the farm shop, at the Lüneburg market (Wed + Sat 7 a.m.–1 p.m.), or in Online-Shop at Michaelshof.
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Michaelshof up to date – all opening hours at a glance!
Ark Farm:
Mon-Sun 09.00 – 19.00
Café:
Mon-Sat 08.00 – 18.00
Sun & holidays. 09.30 – 18.00
Farmshop:
On weekdays, Sundays and public holidays
daily. 10.00 – 19.00
The WAGEN in Lüneburg:
Wed & Sat 07.00 – 13.00
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Sat, May 31 – 11:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Insight No. 2: Veggie Delight with Lea
You won’t believe what flavors vegetarian cuisine has to offer – until you taste your first bite of this three-course menu you’ll prepare yourself. With veggie cooking, it’s all about the ingredients. That’s why Lea will first take you to the veggie patch before heading back to the kitchen with full baskets. Then it’s time to wash, peel, and chop what the regional summer harvest has to offer. A culinary experience – meat-free, sustainable, and simply delicious.
Participation: €40, Lunch: €10, registration requested!
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Skeleton structures are totally his thing. That’s why he understands both people and timber construction so well. Who are we talking about? Bjarne, our guy from Kiel, who came to Sammatz two years ago to get to know our community and lend a hand.
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And there’s plenty of work for Bjarne, because he’s seriously skilled.
A trained physiotherapist, he cares for the bodily imbalances of various community members – and tackles the tension and postural issues of external patients as well.
But Bjarne’s journey in Sammatz began above the rooftops.
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Because alongside his therapeutic training, he brought lots of experience as a carpenter – something that thrilled our building-enthusiastic community and sped up many a project.
Having a physiotherapist on-site was just as welcome, and gradually his role shifted. Instead of hammer, saw, and plane, his therapist’s hands and trainer’s know-how came more and more into play. All that needed a space, and so, in November 2023, Bjarne opened our small physiotherapy practice with sports studio at Michaelshof. He also supported the Power Place project in the Flachsenberg community area.
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And since he’s so great with people – especially kids – it made sense to entrust him with sports classes at the Selma Lagerlöf School.
With all that on his plate, is there still time to plan the future? Definitely. As much as Bjarne loves Sammatz and life here, he’s planning – if all goes well – to head to Witten/Herdecke University soon to study medicine with an integrated course in anthroposophic medicine.
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We’ll miss Bjarne dearly but hold out hope he might return one day as a doctor to Michaelshof. At least, he can see it happening. And we can too!
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We’re looking for motivated and dynamic people to join our team – especially those who value a meaningful job over a 9-to-5. Want to live and work in the countryside?
We’re looking for professionals (or talented self-starters) in these areas:
Office:
- Accounting
- Photo/visual editor
Hands-On:
- Baker
- Pastry chef
- Teacher
- Educator
- Ornamental plant gardener
- Tree/shrub/lawn gardener
- Construction worker
- Agriculture
- Pharmacist
- Print & Lamination
Your skillset not listed? Give it a try anyway!
Send your application with a photo to: claudia.brady@sammatz.de – we’ll be in touch!
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+++ NEWSTICKER +++
Snapshots from community life…
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…this time with magical blossom moments…
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…some camera-curious pigs…
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…our tiniest residents – busy on the go…
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…happy volunteer moments on May 1st…
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…a proud mama with the year’s first lamb, and the first day out to pasture for our goat herd!
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‹Is there anything better than a cozy spot in the sun and a free grooming session? I love Arche-Hof!›
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Warm wishes and see you next time – Anna & Marina ❤️
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