Tradition and progress. Does that go together? Definitely. Especially when it comes to the food we all eat. At the latest after the ongoing discussions about genetic engineering, factory farming and agricultural poisons, the topic of regionality is now being given a higher priority again. This is an opportunity for many farmers who do not have it easy with regard to agricultural corporations, cost pressure, standardized mass products and bureaucracy. The current trend towards regional food is giving many smaller farms renewed confidence. “You don’t always have to reinvent the wheel to make progress,” explains Sebastian Hausler from Erlebnisbauernhof in Hallbergmoos.
The Hausler farm is located about four kilometers south of Munich Airport Business Park in a quiet but not remote location. Sebastian Hausler and his wife took over his parents-in-law’s farm, which they had founded in 1960, 33 years ago. The home now includes the “Yellow Root Saloon”, the “Country Hall” and the farm’s own restaurant in the “Stadl” – next door: a small picturesque lake. For the past six years, junior Josef has been taking over his parents’ legacy and managing the activities around the farm. Nevertheless, Sebastian Hausler still helps out here and there and lends his son a helping hand. This is also necessary, as the picturesque property in the north of Munich is busier than ever before.
Hausler quickly recognized the benefits of the loose, nutrient-rich soil and the optimal water supply in Erdinger Moos and converted the farm to growing vegetables decades ago: Beet, carrots, potatoes, pumpkins, rhubarb, asparagus, lettuce and countless varieties of cabbage are now produced on the large fields surrounding the farm. Most of the produce is sold at farmers’ markets in and around Munich and directly on site. The farmer also relies on an increasingly popular form of distribution: direct marketing. “We had the idea of cooking and selling food directly on the farm during our trip to the USA in 1997,” says Hausler. “People drive to the farms to eat and buy food there on the side”.
In order to prepare for years with poor harvests due to the weather, the family business has now built up a second mainstay. Almost every week, smaller and larger events take place on the Hauslers’ farm. In summer, the meadow in front of the adjacent lake invites you to have a barbecue, and in winter, a mulled wine in the “Yellow Root Saloon” warms you up. “Even if the events are very popular with the people of Hallbergmoos, you should never give up farming,” says Hausler.
So today it has to be sustainable, fresh and, if possible, organic. The Hauslers have been relying on this – actually traditional – concept for years. This is paying off, as the new trend towards the tried and tested plays into the hands of the family business. According to the DLG study “Regionality from a consumer perspective”, the LOHAS (“Lifestyles of Health and Substainability”) target group is becoming an increasingly important factor for the food industry. The focus here is on the enjoyment-oriented, but also ethically and morally justifiable consumption of food, for which consumers are prepared to spend more money. Money that is needed to adequately support local businesses such as the Hauslers. True to the motto: quality beats quantity.
Images © Municipality of Hallbergmoos
