Your host, Rahel
My round of outdoor tasks involving the farm orchard, the field and the barn animals is my special passion. Looking after the house, farm and its grounds is a job, leisure pursuit and family life all rolled into one, and offering a welcome to house guests brings enriching variety and a sense of fulfilment to my everyday life. A happy smile from a satisfied guest and an appreciative entry in the guest book are things that have a value like nothing else. After a busy summer, I also like to enjoy the quieter winter days, when family life and creativity come back to the fore.
Your host family
We live with our two children Jana (born in 2008) and Tristan (born in 2011) in a typical Bernese farmhouse dating from the year 1747. Your hosts Andreas and Rahel work full-time on the farm, where we share the tasks of looking after the field and barn, guest services, housework and the children.
Our farm
Living at over 2,000 feet (615 metres) above sea level, in the hills of the lower valley of Emmental, we are the farm’s fifth generation of custodians. We operate in accordance with the ecological guidelines of the IP-Suisse code of practice. We farm almost fifteen acres (6 hectares) of fodder maize and cereals combined with green meadows, and have specialised in the raising and keeping of pasture cattle. The top-quality meat that we supply is marketed under the Swiss Premium Pasture Beef label. We also keep a small herd of Scottish Highland cattle, more as a hobby than as a livelihood. We have been offering bed and breakfast accommodation since 2010. Forestry management is our main task in winter, as working on the steep slopes is a laborious and time-consuming affair. We sell some of the timber as fire and heating wood.
