Last year, we hiked more than ever before in the Munich area. In the process, I’ve
learnt to love small farm stores. Two things are very important to me when it comes
to food: organic production and that it is vegan. Eating predominantly regionally
and seasonally also plays a big role for me. Organic farm stores have therefore
interested me for a long time, but as a city dweller, they have not been a focus for
me until now. This has changed due to the pandemic and our new way of life with home
office and longer family evenings. Also, I thought that as a vegan I would not be
able to find anything there, but in the pandemic situation, I specifically searched
for self-service farm stores and found what I was looking for - in each case
combined with a hike or a walk, which I would like to motivate you to do, too.
Table of Contents
Why shop in farm
stores?
Farm stores are trendy, and that’s a good thing. The arguments for shopping there
go far beyond the good taste of the food. Buying directly from the producer is not
only easy on the wallet, but also for the environment. Knowing where the food comes
from builds trust. (Not only) children can learn a lot about agriculture when
shopping this way. Around the farm store, they Encounter animals and agricultural
machinery. The elimination of long transport routes not only ensures fresher food.
It also prevents loss of nutrients. So food straight from the farm is both fresh and
healthy. Farm stores sell seasonal food. This is also an aspect that benefits the
environment. A very nice seasonal calendar, which is suitable for Germany, with
pictures that match the current month in each case, can be found here. I also find it simply nice to shop at the farm - without the
hustle and bustle and long lines at the checkout. I like the idea of supporting
local organic farming. And at least after the pandemic, you can also meet the people
who grow or produce the food.
Diversity
and sustainability at the Billesbergerhof farm
When we arrived at the Billesbergerhof farm in Moosinning, I had a kind of
déjà vu. The field in front of the driveway looked so familiar, as if I had
been there only recently. Then I realized that I had already stopped at this
field twice in the summer to photograph beautiful flowers for Instagram.
This is no coincidence: Billesbergerhof, certified by the “Naturland”
organization, offers organic food under the motto “bayrisch biologisch guad
is” (English: It’s Bavarian, it’s organic, it’s good). It follows an
impressive sustainability concept. This includes flowering strips on the
edges of the fields, which provide food for bumblebees and bees. Consistent
environmentally friendly actions are also evident in the plastic-free
self-service farm store, where you can find, for example, a large selection
of spelt noodles made from the farm’s own flour, packaged in recycled
cardboard. This also looks aesthetically pleasing, as does the whole farm
store. By the way, it is located outdoors. At least that was the case during
our visits. Besides pasta, vegans can also find other dry products such as
mountain lentils. In addition, there was a selection of seasonal vegetables
and potatoes of different varieties. We were pleased to briefly meet the
organic farmer in person, who kindly offered help. The Billesbergerhof farm
supplies various organic stores in Munich and also makes its own bread.
Charming
outdoor shop of the Billesbergerhof farm
More vegetables can be obtained in the form of an organic box, which
can be pre-ordered and picked up at three locations in Munich (in
Schwabing, Bogenhausen of Isarvorstadt) and also the farm. They come in
three sizes, one-time or weekly. In our organic box we found such
interesting vegetables as sweet dumpling pumpkin and candy cane beet.
Inside the box was a creatively handwritten overview of the included
vegetables with tips for cooking. A nice opportunity to learn about new,
healthy dishes. I already look forward to another organic box with
different vegetables and new inspiration.
Eco box
Although animal products are not the topic of this article and I don’t eat eggs, I
think it is praiseworthy that male chicks are not killed at the Billesbergerhof
farm. Responsibility and sustainability can be found in so many aspects here. For
example, the farm, which has been a mill since the 15th century, also has its own
hydroelectric power plant. After our visit to the farm, we took a walk in the nearby
village of Itzling. Here, next to the pretty baroque church, is a very beautiful,
quiet field path with a far-reaching view that we always like to return to when we
are in the area in the northeast of Munich.
Vegan ice cream at a
farm near Otterfing
We discovered the possibility of buying vegan ice cream in a farm store quite
by chance on a walk. As so often, we wandered through a farm and spotted a sign
with a tempting offer of vegan ice cream. Unfortunately, however, we had no
money with us that day. We returned to the area for a longer hike. As a side
benefit, we finally got to try the ice cream. There were sorbets for vegans,
including one with apple cinnamon flavor. We were blown away by our snack, it
was that delicious. Apple cinnamon sorbet was perfect on the rather chilly fall
day. We enjoyed the ice cream in the fabulously beautiful forest behind the
farm. There were many mushrooms in fall. Tip for parents with children: If you
hike through the forest completely in the direction of Erlach, you come to a
goat enclosure. If you want to hike longer, you can go further via Erlach and
Wettlkam back to Palnkam. A really beautiful, varied hike past dreamy
farmhouses.
The farm store
is on the right side.
Homemade
jam from the “Erlebnisbauernhof beim Strobel” farm
The “adventure farm” is located on the beautiful Asberg hill near the village
of Kleinhartpenning, not very far from Holzkirchen. Here we took many beautiful
evening walks during the time when days were longer, because you can enjoy a
wonderful panorama of the Alps. We regularly passed by a picturesque, larger
organic farm. Together with Juno we could admire here not only cows grazing on
the lush green meadows, but also some goats. Only after several walks I
discovered that I can also buy something vegan here and that is homemade jams
from various fruits. The farm has a food vending machine nicely nestled in a
wooden hut. I opted for plum jam, which did wonderfully on vegan pancakes at
Sunday breakfast. If you’re interested in a short hike/enjoyable walk around the
farm, you’ll find it in this article of mine. It’s really worth
it!
Also for
vegans: The vending machine
Organic
potatoes in farm stores in Putzbrunn and at the Egglburgersee lake
Around the Egglburgersee near Ebersberg is one of our favorite hiking and
walking trails in the Munich area. A loop around the lake took us through
the Rothbauernhof farm, which is part of the idyllic hamlet of
Hinteregglburg. In its romantic surroundings, you’ll come across grazing
sheep and orchards. The farm is located below a typical Bavarian onion-dome
church on a small hill. Here in picture-book Bavaria there is a
correspondingly idyllic-looking little farm store - a wooden hut. There you
can take away potatoes in paper bags, sorted by weight. There is probably no
nicer place to go shopping than there. The Rothbauernhof gets its potatoes
from its partner farm Daberger-Hof in Putzbrunn (website German only), where
you can also buy them in their own farm store. In addition, there were
organic apples from their own trees in September.
Regional
organic potatoes, sorted by weight
A great portal where you can search for specific foods from the producer can
be found here (website German only). There you can also search regionally
for farm stores, but also for farmers’ markets and organic stores.
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5 thoughts on “Vegan shopping in self-service organic farm stores around
Munich”
5 thoughts on “Vegan shopping in self-service organic farm stores around Munich”