Gerhard from the Schattbergalm – With the cows for a mountain summer retreat
Gerhard – Alpine farmer and full-time farmer with passion, Landscape conservationist and proud Kitzbüheler.
We visit Gerhard on the Schattbergalm at 875 m above sea level at the foot of the legendary Kitzbühel local mountain Hahnenkamm. This is where his award-winning Holstein dairy cows and grey cattle Selena, a gift from the Oberland for his birthday, spend their summer holidays from the beginning of May. Really unique is the fact that his farm, the Mitteracker-Hof, which is inhabited and managed all year round, is located at 1,160 m above sea level and the alpine pasture is therefore lower. Therefore Gerhard does not drive up to the alp but down. Hard to believe, but it is so. Nevertheless, pure alpine pasture feeling and the wonderful view of our beautiful city, the Kitzbüheler Horn, a part of the Kitzbüheler Südberge and the Wilder Kaiser, is a dream. From the alpine pasture, Gerhard also has his farm in view and vice versa.
From the Mitterackerhof you not only have a unique view of the Kitzbühel mountains, but if you are lucky, you can also see the foothills of the Great Wall of China.
Family power 365 days a year
The whole family takes care of the dairy cows, and they have also won several prizes for the best Pinzgau cows in the region. This is something to be proud of, of course! During the summer months the milk is brought directly to the nearby Maurachhof shop and sold in the farm shop. This guarantees special quality and, what’s more: it could hardly be fresher.
It is only possible together, cohesion is very important to us, everyone has their own responsibilities. Everything you like to do will be good.
Gerhard spends the summer with his wife Lisi and his daughter Sonja between farm and alpine pasture. He is happy that his children also enjoy farming. His son Andreas also works on an alpine pasture in the summer and in Jochberg they still have an alp for young cattle. The next generation is thus secured.
Not only in summer, but 365 days a year the Kitzbühel family works in and with nature. In their daily work, cohesion and togetherness within the family are very important. Gerhard has already learned the values of tradition, family, closeness to the homeland and also the respectful treatment of the animals from his family and passed them on to the two children accordingly. The animals thus live with the family, but are not humanised. Especially for the cultural landscape that has grown over the centuries, ruminants are very important for cultivation: for hikers in summer and for skiers in winter.
The day usually begins around 05:30. The cows come from the pasture in the morning, are milked, fed and return to the pasture in the early evening after the second milking. For the cows a nice life, for Sonja and her mother, not always so romantic. Nevertheless, when the two of them talk about life on an alpine pasture in this way, you can see the joy in their eyes. Even Gerhard could not imagine any other profession than farmer. Of course, leisure time is scarce, but there is time now and then for his other passion, hunting. Here he prefers to watch the game from his high seat.
True in the end
Gerhard is proud to be a Kitzbüheler and starts raving on his wooden terrace with a view of our town.
No wonder the guests come to us. The beautiful landscape and the very good quality of life are already unique with us. Where so many people go on holiday every year, we are allowed to work.
If we pay attention to our nature together and stick together more, everyone will have a good life.
We don’t want to add anything more to this and let Gerhard continue working again!
#LocalHeroes from Kitzbühel
It is the people who make Kitzbühel and its holiday villages of Reith, Aurach and Jochberg so special. These are exactly the personalities we are talking about in our “LocalHeroes” series, in which the true heroes of our region are put in the spotlight. They probably would never call themselves heroes, but they are: Because it is only through their passion for what they do that we can all experience the unique Kitzbühel lifestyle.