Farm History
Our farm estate is nestled in the original, green landscape of the Ostalb. It sits on a high plateau in the health resort of Bartholomä, at the edge of the sky. It has been family-owned for more than 250 years, and we are connected to this special piece of earth with all our hearts.
"Over the years, we have transformed the old farm into an organic restaurant where we take loving care of our guests."
Over the years, we have transformed the old farm into an organic restaurant where we take loving care of our guests. We host celebrations, organize menu evenings, have a small cultural stage, and are a wonderful place to spend a relaxing vacation on the Swabian Alb.
"The more we learned about these impressive practices and the vision for a better world, the more ambition we developed to transform our farm estate into the gem it is today."
When we first came into contact with the Slow Food movement in 2009 through the “From the Earth to the Plate” project, a journey began that continues to this day. A world opened up to us where food tastes outstanding and is healthy. A world where it is produced and processed with extraordinary knowledge and skill, and where its producers are paid fairly.
A world where a gentle approach to nature is just as natural as the preservation of old crops and livestock breeds. The more we learned about these impressive practices and the vision for a better world, the more ambition we developed to transform our farm estate into the gem it is today: a sustainable idyll where our guests can leave their everyday lives behind to enjoy their time with us and celebrate extensively, while we take care of everything for you. At the same time, with every visit, you support a growing network of forward-thinking entrepreneurs.
Philosophy
We believe that enjoyment is greatest when people and nature are in harmony. With every dish we serve, we focus on making this a reality.
We grow part of our vegetables and all our herbs ourselves, have planted an orchard with rare, old varieties, keep old chicken breeds and a few ducks, and bake our own bread and delicious pastries in the wood-fired oven.
"It is important to us to contribute to making our region more diverse and healthier and to strengthen the resilience and biodiversity of our food chains. So we consciously went looking for old, heirloom varieties."
We have converted the former barn, the cowshed, and the workshop into inviting, stylish event rooms. All three buildings are located in beautiful gardens that allow our guests to enjoy undisturbed celebrations near Schwäbisch Gmünd. At the same time, the gardens provide an important habitat for native plants, animals, and insects. For overnight stays, four cozy houses with gardens are available as ideal accommodation on the Swabian Alb. We carefully maintain our linen in our own laundry, and our florists hand-tie the flowers for the room decorations. In our event office, we plan cultural events and celebrations down to the last detail so that our guests don’t have to worry about a thing.
"The result is food of outstanding quality, which we process with great respect."
It is important to us to contribute to making our region more diverse and healthier and to strengthen the resilience and biodiversity of our food chains. So we consciously went looking for old, heirloom varieties. Their yield is often lower and not always flawless, but they are more robust and more flavorful. You can taste the difference on the plate, and at the same time, we can preserve a little piece of diversity. The same applies to the animals. We have found farmers who keep and raise animals for us that were once typical for our region but are now almost extinct. We make sure that the animals are outdoors as much as possible and are slaughtered stress-free, ideally directly at the farm. At the same time, we support an expanded range of alternative protein sources, such as the Swabian Alb lentils.
The result is food of outstanding quality, which we process with great respect. Nothing goes to waste, because everything is part of the cycle: we use vegetables from root to leaf and compost the waste so that our soils remain well-nourished and fertile. For the slaughtered animals, we also process everything from nose to tail. For this reason, we have learned traditional methods for meat aging and make our own sausage and bouillon.
We are curious and inventive and love to keep learning. That’s why there is always one project or another through which we experiment with a new aspect to become even more sustainable. Currently, we are creating a permaculture garden and gaining more experience with bees for species-appropriate and natural beekeeping. Thus, we are taking small steps back to our own farming roots.
Partners
It is important to us that we know exactly where our products come from and how they are grown. All our food is grown without the use of chemical pesticides or synthetic fertilizers. Medications (especially antibiotics) are only administered, if at all, according to the strictest regulations and in emergencies.
"The farmers are all organic-certified and mostly work according to the much higher standards of Bioland or Demeter."
The farmers are all organic-certified and mostly work according to the much higher standards of Bioland or Demeter. These partners live fully for ecologically sustainable agriculture.
We searched for a long time until we found them and we cultivate these relationships carefully. We visit our suppliers again and again to see how things are grown and also bring our kitchen team to the farms so they can experience where our products come from.
We supplement the organic products with wild products from our region. Here, too, we have built relationships with hunters and gatherers who have accompanied us for years and ensure the quality of the products.
"We place great value on working with our suppliers from near and far as partners on an equal footing and on promoting rural structures."
For the most part, we source our products from a maximum radius of 50 km and try to keep the distances as short as possible. For products like coffee or lemons that don’t grow here, we naturally accept longer delivery routes. But even here, we look for the same high standards that we know from our other partners. We place great value on working with our suppliers from near and far as partners on an equal footing and on promoting rural structures.
"We searched for a long time until we found them and we cultivate these relationships carefully."
