The whole district knows it: the Hausler farm. The many events, the Friday lunches, the farm shop and the diverse, colorful range of fruit and vegetables characterize Josef Hausler and the Hausler-Hof. The 31-year-old trained chef is the boss here. He is supported by his mother Maria and his girlfriend Cornelia as well as a great and dedicated team.
Hausler’s range includes potatoes, carrots, cucumbers, kohlrabi, zucchinis, artichokes, celery, leeks and fennel. Seasonal, fresh fruit and vegetables can be bought here every Friday from 9:30 am to 2:30 pm. The young farmer has set up an order and delivery service for busy customers. “Our customers really appreciate the order and delivery service. Many people don’t have the opportunity to shop in peace between work and everyday life. When you’re standing in the supermarket and have to pick out fresh fruit and vegetables, you quickly get pressed for time. We take over this part for our customers,” explains the young farmer proudly.
Coriander and the blue potato: exotic and colorful vegetables from Hallbergmoos
Josef Hausler has set himself one goal in life: to keep trying out new things. After a vacation in Asia, the farmer came up with the idea of growing coriander: “The demand from customers was already there. So I took heart and grew coriander in addition to our existing herbs.” The farmer’s herb repertoire is impressive: In addition to coriander, Hausler offers peppermint, sage, rosemary, parsley and chives. In short: everything you need in the kitchen.
The exploratory young farmer is currently trying out a new potato variety: the blue St. Gallen. It is predominantly waxy and is characterized by its typical blue-violet color even after cooking. This colorful feast for the eyes is particularly suitable for potato salad, mashed potatoes and chips – if that doesn’t make every child want to eat vegetables…
80 varieties of pumpkin and lots of manual labor
Halloween is approaching. Nothing is more typical of this time of year than the pumpkin. These are also available at Hausler. The young farmer has a total of 80 varieties in his range! These include well-known varieties such as Hokkaido, Muscat, Butternut, Napoli, Sweet Mama, Lakota and Blue Kuri. The pumpkin seeds are planted and grown by hand in small pots before being taken to the field to grow. “Our diverse range of pumpkins has proven its worth. What’s more, interest is particularly high at this time of year. We are delighted to be able to make both our big and small customers happy,” says the young farmer, referring to the versatile vegetable. Those interested in Munich can also buy the pumpkin plants at the farmers’ market in Schwabing.
However, it’s not just pumpkins that require manual labor. Josef Hausler has 18 hectares of land to till and maintain – a lot to do. Fortunately for the young farmer, his mother Maria and girlfriend Cornelia help out. “Cornelia does our office work. She wanted to get a taste of working here as a temp and that’s how we got to know each other,” smiles the young farmer. In addition to the office work, Cornelia is also responsible for making the company’s own fruit spreads and pestos. “Our pestos and fruit spreads are extremely tasty and very popular with our customers – as well as with me,” says the trained chef happily.
Without the help of his team, he would not be able to cope with all the work. The same applies to the machines. The young farmer has several tractors at his disposal for field work – the oldest is a Fendt. But Josef Hausler’s favorite machine is an Eicher 3125 E with a whopping 125 hp. “We couldn’t manage the field work without the mechanical help. Depending on the season, we work up to twelve hours a day,” explains the farmer.
Family business with a long tradition: from the Gschwendter to the Hausler farm
Up to twelve hours of work a day – that was already common in the days of grandfather Johann Gschwendtner. In 1959, he acquired the land from the Selmayr heirs of the Erching castle estate. After the old farm in Ismaning burnt down, a new one was needed. In 1960, the family moved into the newly constructed building with their only child Maria. “My father equipped the building and the barn with the latest technical advances. In contrast to today, the focus back then was on livestock farming. What we grew in the fields was only for subsistence farming,” recalls Maria Hausler.
Born Gschwendtner, she married Sebastian Hausler from Holledau in 1975. They met at a friends’ wedding in Hallbergmoos and subsequently fell in love. They took over the farm in 1984 – the Hausler farm was born.
Josef later took over the farm after his older brother Sebastian married into a farm. After completing his apprenticeship as a chef at the traditional Nockherberg restaurant in Munich, Josef Hausler returned to his parents’ farm. He was no stranger to the farm and its management.
Lunch, Indian and Trapper Festival at Hausler-Hof
Josef Hausler likes to show off his cooking skills at lunch. This takes place every Friday until 14:00 at the Hausler farm. This is when the young farmer welcomes his guests with traditional Bavarian dishes as well as international cuisine. “Regardless of whether it’s roast pork, Hungarian goulash or cevapcici: our customers really appreciate the lunch menu,” says Josef Hausler, delighted with the large number of customers who return to the Hausler-Hof after the coronavirus lockdowns. “It makes me happy when I can cook and use my home-grown vegetables,” adds the farmer, who now also offers his potato salad with blue potatoes.
But the farm’s festivals are also legendary! Whether it’s the Winter Bulldog Meeting or the largest European Indian and Trapper Festival: there’s always something going on at the Hausler farm. And when there is something going on, guests come to Hallbergmoos from all over Europe and even from America.
Image material © Munich Airport Business Park, photo Eva Oestereich
Poster © Munich Airport Business Park, picture&more Iris Besemer
