Stories from the mountain summer
A happy life on the farm
Farm holidays are an escape from everyday life into a world full of unique and unforgettable moments for enthusiastic nature lovers. It is also a time that is so deeply embedded in your soul that you can always draw strength from it.
Ever caught a chicken by hand? Or tasted fresh milk from a cow? But let’s start at the beginning. Because the sun is just sending its first rays over the mountain peaks into the deep blue morning sky. The crowing of the proud cockerel in the middle of the farm briefly drowns out the finely tuned triad of the bells of the cows in the lush pasture. The kitchen smells of baking, hinting at the promise of an extremely delicious breakfast. Yes, this is exactly how you can imagine the start of a wonderful day on holiday on one of the many magnificent farms in Zillertal. “It’s more than just checking into a holiday apartment,” says Theresia Rahm, nodding her head very deliberately. No wonder, she is one of those many farmers’ wives who briefly offer people from everywhere deep insights into a very special world. “Here at the Martlerhof in Aschau, you can experience everyday life on a farm up close,” she says. “After all, our day doesn’t change, whether we have visitors or not.” In other words, whether she is driving to one of the pastures with the water barrel for the cows on the tractor, fetching feed from the barn or looking for eggs in the chicken coop – everyone can watch or join in. What is particularly nice about the eggs – the ones you find yourself simply taste unforgettably good as your eggs for breakfast! “It is important to us,” emphasises the passionate farmer’s wife, “that we always accompany guests when they’re handling the animals on the farm.” So the animals are not confused, of course, but also to impart knowledge at the same time. Whether it’s feeding the rabbits and guinea pigs, milking the cows, riding on the tractor or romping around with the farm dog.
Everyone loves a pony
“But working with our ponies is particularly popular with all the children,” Theresia Rahm reports from her observations over the years. Grooming a horse, leading it and ultimately riding it yourself makes the holiday a very special experience for every child – and for the parents too! Because that moment of leading your own daughter or son on the pony is also unique for mum and dad. In the end, it becomes obvious how animals and humans can learn to communicate within no time at all.
Handling all living creatures correctly, feeling the connection between humans and animals, is the be-all and end-all on the farm. And anyone who engages with this harmonious interaction with nature can naturally take a lot away with them from their time on the farm – regardless of whether they’re a child or an adult. As besides the fascination of being able to experience life on the farm first hand, a farm holiday creates a deep understanding of animal welfare.
Deeply embedded in the soul
Anyone who has spent just a few hours on a farm like Theresia Rahm’s knows: A farm holiday is not just time out, but much more. It is an escape from the hectic pace of everyday life. It is a journey into nature and naturalness. It is a journey you will never forget. This is so deeply embedded in the soul that parents who had spent their holidays on a farm themselves as children in the past usually come back years later with their own children! “Because they have this childhood memory and still talk about it a lot today,” Rahm reports. “People draw on this time in authentic nature for an extremely long time, which is simply good for the soul,” she is sure.
Another aspect that definitely should not be ignored with all the romanticism of nature: Parents simply have a much more peaceful time when their children are meaningfully occupied. And on the farms in Zillertal they are not only constantly dealing with animals and nature, but also always well protected by experts. As a mum or dad, you can simply do nothing for once.
Image: Bernhard Huber and text: Michi Reichelt
Year-round magazine 2024
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