The moon has a lot to it ….

In spring, the farmers are snowed under with work and life really returns to the farm. In the house, in the outdoor area, in the fields, and in the garden, there is all sorts to do. Nevertheless, it is a joy to be out in nature more again, to hear the birds, and to see the many tractors and farm machines on the roads and fields. A sign that agriculture is alive and doing its work with enthusiasm.

The moon plays a role in many tasks in agriculture. Since we just had a waning moon, I would like to briefly tell you what we always do here at the Zittrauerhof during a waning moon: The farrier comes to the house and trims the horses’ hooves, and the cows also receive their pedicure. But it’s not just cows and horses that want to start spring with a beautiful appearance.

The small animals like ponies, our donkey Angelina, and our new addition, the pony stallion, also want to be made beautiful. The shavings that result from this are then used as fertilizer in the garden.

In spring, you also spread the liquid manure or the dung, ideally also during a waning moon, because then it is said to go into the earth better. This has been passed down from generation to generation over decades. If you have time and the weather is right, you also prepare the hotbed in the garden and plant the first lettuce.

Cleaning the fields is absolutely necessary; you go onto the meadow with a wheelbarrow or, if the fields are large, with the tractor and pick up everything that has no business being in a meadow. You simply wouldn’t believe what waste is thrown into the meadows: cans, plastic, glass shards, dog bags … Many people are not aware that this represents a danger to the animals.

To be able to make the fences on the alpine pasture and at the farm, you need many larch posts every year. We buy the larch wood and it is a lot of work to then sharpen these with the machine and stack them up nicely. When the men come to lunch in their work clothes, the whole kitchen smells of fresh wood during this work – I love this smell.

During a waning moon, you should also prune the shrubs and apple trees so that they sprout beautifully and can grow properly. If you are planning a raised bed, or want to fill it up again, you can use the branches perfectly for that.

Despite all the work, it is important that you also just sit down every now and then and see what wonders nature offers and in what paradise we are allowed to live.

I wish you a lot of fun, and if you overtake a farmer soon who is currently delivering dung or liquid manure, then don’t turn up your nose, because without these trips, the meadows will not shine in such a lush green in the coming months.

Your farmer Katharina