For several weeks in total, Marianne from Upper Austria decided to do her summer internship with us on the farm. It was a lovely time together for us, with many experiences—and especially when you have such pearls on the farm, it really is hard to say goodbye. Marianne, who is only 18 years old, won’t be driving home alone, though: she has fallen in love with Gastein and is leaving Zittrauerhof together with our Red Frisian cow Carola—she will continue to spoil and milk her in Upper Austria.

Marianne is already practising leading with Carola.

In the next lines, Marianne writes a little about her time on the farm, her impressions, experiences and feelings:

I completed my several-week internship at Zittrauerhof in Bad Hofgastein. Even when I came for a trial visit in spring, it was clear to me that this would be the right farm for me. From the very beginning I was fully integrated into the family and welcomed. I also got on really well with Katharina, Matthias and the children right away, so there was actually always a good—and fun—working atmosphere. Katharina taught me so much, from making cheese to cooking different kinds of jam and syrups, to many different dishes, as well as everyday tips and tricks for the household, the barn and the garden. I’m very happy about that, and grateful too!
My passion for baking and cooking never came up short either. So almost every other day there was a new pastry or baked treat on the plan, filling the kitchen with heavenly smells.
Little clumsy moments like broken glasses and plates were also part of the internship. But Katharina said that broken pieces bring good luck and didn’t take it too seriously—“where you work, chips will fall.”
Katharina already told me when I applied that I would be used in many different ways: in the garden, in the barn, and also cleaning the rooms and holiday apartments. When the first “cleaning day” had to be tackled, I only then realised what you have to pay attention to. But once the cleaning bug had caught me, time flew by.
In the mornings, in the first weeks, I took over barn duty in the children’s barn.
Flecki had to be milked, the stalls mucked out, and the animals fed and brought out to pasture. Over the weeks the goats really grew on me, as did Nelly, the farm dog. And the cobwebs and daddy longlegs also had to be swept away all around the farm again and again. In the evenings I occasionally helped with milking the Holstein cows. Before long I had a favourite cow: Carola. I really enjoyed the work in the barn and with the animals, as well as riding Kria, with Johanna as my teacher.
In midsummer, I helped with the hay harvest; it was a lovely, meditative job, and the children usually helped too. “Many hands make light work.”
A big highlight for me was also spending the night up on the Alm, and picking spruce tips for the honey.
The view, the peace and quiet, and the good air were especially fascinating and calming. Hias and Sepp also took me along when they prepared and stored wood for the next year—a lovely job to do together and an experience. Thank you.
Direct marketing also interested and excited me right from the start, so I was allowed to learn and make Topfen (curd cheese), yoghurt, cream cheese and also Camembert, as well as jams and different kinds of syrups. I will definitely recreate quite a bit of that at home!
In the evenings I sometimes played the Styrian harmonica with Johanna, and we taught each other a few new songs.
I will definitely always remember my internship, because I got to meet so many lovely people and experienced and learned so many things. I’m glad I came across this farm, and I will certainly drop by for a visit again sometime!
Marianne