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A Bavarian Farmer’s Life

May 2, 2016 by Karen Giebel 9 Comments

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

This is Conrad.

Featured Image

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.

Bull!

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

Cows at deck

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.

Watering cows

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.

Cutting 2

He hangs a left and then circles back down.

Cutting

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.

Raking

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.

Sweeping

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

Sweeping uphill

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

Sweeping around the corner

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

Dad Tractor

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!

Dad

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

Late evening

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

Heading Home

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

Silo

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

Cow Barn

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

Cows in barn

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.

House

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

Please look for me and more stories from The Journey Girl at:

www.facebook.com/thejourneygirl

www.thejourneygirl.com.

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Filed Under: Life in Germany, The Journey Girl Travels Tagged With: Clean living, Cows., Farmer, Farming, Grass Fed

« Carolyn Fafinski-Seamstress of Gowns for little Angels
The Raising Of The Maibaum! A Little Slice Of Bavaria. »

Comments

  1. Sarah says

    May 2, 2016 at 4:21 pm

    This is wonderful!. Thanks for giving us this glimpse of dairy farming in Bavaria. 😀

    Reply
    • Karen Giebel says

      May 2, 2016 at 5:38 pm

      Hi Sarah,

      Happy you enjoyed a little farm life in Bavaria. I truly appreciate your commenting.

      Hugs from me,

      Karen, TJG

      Reply
  2. Sarah D. Moore says

    May 2, 2016 at 4:48 pm

    Karen, I loved the story of the cattle farmer. It so reminds me of Gilbert and his Father when they had cattle, but upon Mr. Moore’s death, Gilbert no longer had cattle. He began to enlarge his vegetable crop. Bavaria has such beautiful landscapes and I love your writing.

    Reply
    • Karen Giebel says

      May 2, 2016 at 5:41 pm

      Hi Sarah,

      It makes me so happy that it brought back good memories for you! I really enjoy these cows. They will chase me done the fence line until I stop and scratch their noses!

      Hugs and Love from me,
      Karen, TJG

      Reply
  3. Teresa says

    May 2, 2016 at 4:56 pm

    Nice to hear about Conrad and a day in his life as a Bavarian farmer. Thank you for the fun read!

    Reply
    • Karen Giebel says

      May 2, 2016 at 5:42 pm

      Hi Teresa,

      Glad you enjoyed the piece. I sure enjoy Conrad and his cows! Thanks for commenting too!

      Hugs and Love from me,
      Karen, TJG

      Reply
  4. Sharon Camarda Paz says

    May 3, 2016 at 11:27 pm

    Karen,
    Another great story of life in Bavaria. You have made friends all around the world. What a journey.
    Hugs
    Sharon

    Reply
    • Karen Giebel says

      May 4, 2016 at 4:44 am

      Hi Sharon,

      There are some memories that I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life. Conrad and his cows are one of them. He is moving them down to the pasture next to our deck next week! Thanks for writing.

      Hugs and love from me,
      Karen, TJG

      Reply
  5. Michael Gammache says

    March 31, 2021 at 12:05 am

    Hello- I was in Bavaria Germany 1976 in winter and had a tractor sleigh ride New Years day at the Mittermaier farm. Looking at your farm pic I am thinking it is the same farm. It was close to Wasserburg and Amerang as I recall. I corresponded with the one son they called Heini his girl friend was Krystal . He visited me in Lancaster Pa. in summer 1977 I always wanted to reconnect with him and we lost contact. Possibly your article will allow me to find him again. Does Conrad have a fb page or email I could write him thks I loved the farm / people I spent time with. thks Michael Gammache mgammache @mpco.net

    Reply

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Nice to meet you

Karen Giebel, the Journey GirlHello and "WELCOME" to the Journey Girl! I'm Karen, a happy, optimistic retired RN living out my dreams with my husband Dan up here in the back of the beyond in Ferry County, Washington. High up in the mountains just 20 miles from the border with British Columbia, Canada. I enjoy writing and sharing with my friends all about our lives raising Alpacas, growing our gardens, all the gorgeous birds and wildlife that surround us. Sharing stories of our daily lives as we travel this journey through life. Cooking is my passion and I solve all the world's problem while standing at my stove and I love sharing my recipes with you. I am glad you are all here with me today and every day. Journey on!

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