A Bavarian Farmer’s Life

A little story about everyday life in here in Germany and a hard working man who just happens to love cows.

This is Conrad.

He owns the bulls and dairy cows that have given us such enjoyment these past 2 years. He farms the land as his father did before him.

But it’s not just about milking and breeding. Nope….there’s so much more to running his farm than meets the eye.

Conrad grazes his cows on several different pastures. Behind his house. Across the road from his house and in the pastures on the hill behind our house. His herd are fed organically grown grass. The cows and the bulls are all pretty mellow for reasons totally unknown to me. Last summer, Conrad was out in the pastures with his bulls scratching their backs with an old fence post! They also came up to our deck and bellowed until we went out with the hose and gave them a drink of water.

The pastures are fertilized with only a manure slurry. Due to an abundance of both sunshine and rain, the grass grows thick and tall in a hurry. When it is time to cut grass, it is time to cut grass and it’s done in a quickly especially when rain is forecast. Using a side arm cutter on his tractor, he heads uphill.

He hangs a left and then circles back down.

After 2 passes, he stops to hand rake the 2 rows into 1. The Sweeper is very slow and lumbering, so he speeds up the process by combining rows.

Usually, Conrad works alone, but if it’s going to rain, he enlists the help of his elderly father to pull the Sweeper. His father loves getting out on the tractor!

He follows his son up the hill as the Sweeper pulls all the cut grass into the wagon.

The hills are fairly steep, but these 2 have been working this land forever and know it perfectly.

Those 2 passes with the tractor are enough to fill the Sweeper wagon.

Rain is forecast for the next several days, so father and son work non-stop.

Conrad’s command of English is about as good as my German and his father speaks no English. They were both pleased to have me take photographs and document their work. They’re very meticulous in sweeping up as much grass as they are able as that one rake full left behind could be a meal for a hungry bull. And we really do not want hungry bulls!

Very long day for these fellas. The moon had risen and they are still at it!

Finally, as the sun is setting, the tractors and the wagon head for home. That’s the wagon over on the left. Barely visible………

All over Bavaria and on Conrad’s farm, the grass is stored in these silos and covered with weighted tarps.

When day is done and the cows are milked and fed, only then is it time to go home.

As is typical here in Bavaria, the cow barn is attached to the house and both are very, very old.

This is the house where Conrad resides with his elderly parents. I think it’s lovely. Half timbered with lace curtains in the windows and his cows so close at hand. Add in a few barn cats and it’s home. Conrad has told me several times that he loves farming and raising his cows. I can see contentment reflected in his face. It’s a good life.

I hope you have enjoyed a little bit of my every day life here in the foothills of the Bavarian Alps. I have enjoyed sharing it with all of you, my friends!

I made prints of these photos and more and put them in an album and gave them to Conrad. He was very happy to receive them. I hope he carries good memories of this American woman with him, as I will carry fond memories of him and his cows.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. I hope wherever your journey leads you this day, that you find contentment and pleasure in your work and in your life. Journey On!

Hugs and love from me,

Karen, TJG

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