When autumn sets in

Slowly now, leaf by leaf falls
from the colorful trees.
Every path is thickly strewn
and it rustles as you walk.

The leaves are still on the trees and the rustling of the paths is yet to come, but the first yellow is already slowly appearing in the leaves of our Gastein trees.

But that’s not the only way you can tell that autumn is approaching with big strides, because the work at the Zittrauerhof is changing again too! After there was a lot to do in the house and on the farm and little time left for the farm stories, I want to dedicate myself more to my hobby again in the near future. Together with my friend Annika, we will report on farm life, the work, and recipes.

Until recently, you rarely heard the ringing of cowbells or the flocks of sheep in the valley floor, because most of the animals were up on the Alm, where they could enjoy the summer weeks and eat plenty of mountain meadow grass. Well-rested, the animals have now returned to the farm and to the farmers in the valley. In the Gastein Valley, the Almabtrieb is not staged as grandly as in Tyrol; thank GOD there is also no “weekly show” for tourists, nevertheless, I believe it is a great joy for every farmer when, after several hours of hiking and cattle driving, both humans and animals have arrived back in the valley safe and sound. The dairy cows have been back at the Zittrauerhof for a while now, and in the last few days, the heifers and calves also came down to the valley. You search the pastures, round them up, and then the animals are driven from the Stubnerkogel into the Angertal. Often you still encounter heifers from other farmers; here you have to make sure that you hold back the “foreign animals” so they aren’t driven down with the others and don’t “mix in.”

The last two autumn days were simply dreamlike – the view into the valley, the landscape pictures, the peace on the mountain, the content faces of the animals – it’s just something wonderful. The Noriker horses were also brought into the valley today, as unsettled weather was forecast for the next few days. They can now spend a few more weeks on our sour meadows before they are “stabled” in the barn.

Now that the animals are back in the valley, there is plenty to do: the stables must be prepared, the stable and milking work is in full swing again, and the production of dairy products can really take off again!

But it’s not just in the stable that you can feel autumn, because there is also some work to be done in the garden now. The plants that were carefully tended over the summer now want to be harvested and soon made winter-proof. And so, in the near future, someone will be standing in the garden harvesting almost every day – that is certainly worth an extra farm story.

And finally, a few beautiful pictures from the last few days, which have already conjured a bit of powdered sugar onto the mountains. Every year it is fascinating all over again when the snow wraps the peaks in its white dress for the first time of the year.

The Zittrauerhof wishes everyone a wonderful autumn time with rustling walks, cozy evenings by candlelight, and the first snowball fights on the mountain!

A special “event,” as the tourism managers call it, is the upcoming Harvest Festival parade – not only worth seeing, but admirable to see how much effort, joy, and time is spent decorating all the wagons and animals!