Farmer - undoubtedly a daily hard job. Nevertheless, there are young people who consciously choose this profession. What exactly drives them? On the occasion of the World Farmers' Day on June 1st, we take a look at the local businesses.
Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen - "Working with the animals and outdoors in the fields, the big machines - I really couldn't imagine anything better": When the 27-year-old Franz Grenzebach talks about his job as a farmer, he quickly becomes enthusiastic . His parents' dairy farm in Weipertshausen (Münsing municipality) fascinated him from an early age. "As a boy, I always said: When I grow up, I like to do the same thing as Papa," says the farmer, laughing. His wish became a reality: today the young man runs the 50-hectare farm together with his parents. It won't be long before he'll take over.
For the stable work: young farmer Franz Grenzebach from Weipertshausen.
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"When I see what I can do with my hands - it's just motivating"
“When I see what I can do with my own hands - it's just motivating. And drives you every day anew, ”Grenzebach reports. He works hard for this result: Stable work begins every morning at 6 a.m. and ends at 6:30 p.m. Actually. Because cows don't stick to fixed working hours. "They also calve in the middle of the night or at Christmas." Grenzbach must therefore always be reachable. It is difficult to go on vacation spontaneously like other peers. "Of course that bothers me, but I appreciate other things about my job," says the young farmer. If he finishes the field work in good time, "I also have the opportunity to spontaneously free up some space during the week". Nevertheless, Franz Grenzebach sees the lack of flexibility as a reason why fewer and fewer young people are becoming farmers.
The 27-year-old sees one reason for the death of the farm first and foremost: "Our work is no longer valued by society as it used to be." Many consumers have long since had no relation to where the products come from the supermarket and what the work is. "That is exactly what we have to change again."
“The cows give you so much back. The hard work is worth it for that alone ”
For Ruth-Maria Frech (29) in Irschenhausen (municipality of Icking), a good twelve kilometers from Weipertshofen starts the day every morning around 5.15 am - milking in the barn. The animals are particularly important to the young farmer. “They give you so much back. If I treat the cows well, they will do the same to me. The hard work is worth it for that alone. ”The 45-hectare farm with 50 cows lives mainly from milk production. After studying agriculture in Weihenstephan, Frech took over her parents' business in 2017.
What will the future bring for farmers? Naughty about that. She knows one thing for sure: “I spent the most beautiful childhood on the farm that you can imagine. I want to enable the next generation to do just that. ”
A passionate farmer: Ruth-Maria Frech means a lot to her cows.
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At the very beginning of her agricultural career is 18-year-old Veronika Walser from Beuerberg. She also grew up on her parents' dairy farm. "My mother always took me to the stable in my stroller," says Walser. She is currently in the first year of her agricultural training. During the week she works in a company in Augsburg. At the weekend she is drawn home to her parents' yard. "What I really enjoy about my job is being with the family," enthuses Walser. Sooner or later she wants to take over the business. "But my parents are still young, so I will gain experience elsewhere for a few years after my apprenticeship."
"What is great about the job is being with the family"
For the Beuerbergerin it is clear: "I will not be able to continue running the farm like my parents." In the medium term, pure dairy farming is not enough to survive. "Maybe I will also open a farm shop and sell meat and vegetables." The 18-year-old knows that this will probably not be a treat. “But if we give up boys, there will be no companies at all in 2050. We just have to fight for that now. "
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