Maria's Farm shop - Bad Häring

The Perfect Blend – Regional Also Means Seasonal

Organic free-range eggs, egg noodles, farmhouse bread, goat milk products, and kid goat meat. This is how varied Maria Egger can stock the counter of her farm shop with products from her own organic Angererhof. Nonetheless, she has continually expanded the range to offer even more specialties to locals and guests.

Expanding the radius around Angererhof makes the range even more diverse while still remaining regional. Maria Egger sources beef from an organic farm in Bad Häring, sheep yogurt and cheese from a farmer in Schwoich, and vegetables from another Schwoich farm. This is important to the young shop owner. Every product in the farm shop must fit at least one category: it is either produced regionally, organic, or from her own farm – or all of the above. As a graduate of the Higher Federal Teaching and Research Institute for Agriculture and Food Industry, she knows exactly what each ingredient in a food product does and selects only products she would eat herself. "Even before I met my husband, I was already an extreme consumer," she admits, "but I only became aware of organic products through my husband's farm." Therefore, she is no longer surprised that customers with years of cooking experience sometimes seek her advice on food preparation.

More Offerings and More Variety! Piece by piece, after taking over the farm shop from her mother-in-law, Maria Egger expanded the range. Nowadays, she even sells organic cosmetics and care products as well as baby clothes made from organic cotton, alongside sheep and goat milk soaps and lambskin slippers. "I need a few small items for our guests to take home as souvenirs," she explains her selection, which she fully supports. She regularly puts together gift baskets with a selection of local delicacies, including schnapps from Schwoich and smoked pork and goat meat, all from sustainably managed regional farms. Her husband's farm is known for its fresh goat cheese, still made by Maria Egger's mother-in-law using a family recipe. In addition to sheep milk products from the Schwoich farmer, she also sources select cheeses from Alpbachtal, Rotholz, and Zillertal. The main thing is that they are good and local. Her organic grains come from Upper Austria, the country's breadbasket, and the organic herbs and spices grow in the Mühlviertel region.

Don't Have It? Yes, Sometimes. Naturally, regional also means that the offerings are tied to the seasons. Fruits and vegetables are available from early summer to fall. Sheep milk products are available from spring to late fall, as the ewes take a break in winter to gather strength for the birth of new lambs in spring. "This is a natural, seasonal fluctuation that not only rekindles the desire for the missing products each time but also increases appreciation," explains Maria Egger. There was much disappointment among customers last winter when the supply of Rotholz organic potatoes ran out. But this shortage is the consequence of regional products, and customers understand that. They accept when something is not available and are all the more delighted when the range is restocked in spring.

Through newsletters, customers learn when animals are being slaughtered at Angererhof or one of Maria Egger's suppliers. They can then buy fresh kid goat, beef, pork, or chicken. This form of direct sales benefits both consumers and producers. Everyone gets what they want, and the prices reflect the value of the fresh goods. Maria Egger may be too young to remember that this used to be the norm, but she is old enough to recognize and promote the value of this type of marketing for all involved. She pours all her passion into her farm shop.