The unexpected often happens | Farm Holidays in Austria

Irene Kreschischnig got to know working on the farm as a small child. That's why her first thought when it came to choosing a career later on was: Farmer? No thanks. "I always loved animals, but I never really wanted to be a farmer," she smiles. And yet her path did not lead her away from the farm. She stayed. Looking back, it was a stroke of luck, because today she couldn't imagine doing any other job. Unexpected things often happen. When Irene reminisces about her childhood, a smile automatically appears on her face. "There were always lots of children with us because of the guests, and it was easy to make friends with them. Sometimes we were even allowed to go to the lake with the host families or go hiking in the mountains together." And if they lost sight of each other again over the years, some friendships were destined to last forever: Sabine met one of her closest friends as a child at the farm. She still comes here on vacation today, bringing the third generation, the children of her own children, with her. Beautiful memories that are constantly being joined by new ones.

Lots of educational work and farm tours

Farm holidays may be many things, but one thing they are certainly not is monotonous. "People want to bring their children closer to life in the countryside. Our farm is home to pretty much all the animals that a farm can have. Pigs, cattle, horses, chickens, ducks, cats and dogs. Guests appreciate this diversity, they want to see with their own eyes and understand what they are buying in the supermarket. The food industry shows many animals in advertising, but in reality the origin and husbandry are very blurred. You don't know how the meat, eggs or milk are produced, country life is presented in a far too kitschy way. Hardly anyone knows how we live."

This is precisely why Irene offers guided tours of the farm for her guests. Understanding, time and careful explanation - that is the recipe she uses. And it works. "Life on a farm is not all kitsch. In reality, no animal has a whole mountain pasture to itself, that's simply not true. You have to explain to people that the pig in the barn will be eaten at some point."

In addition to breeding organic pigs, Irene has also started rearing broiler chickens. For the simple reason that she didn't want to buy the goods in the store if she knew about the conditions. In addition, they produce their own beef and pork and eat and eat more consciously. There would certainly be a demand for direct marketing, but that would be difficult to achieve: "There are professional organic markets for that, I'm more interested in the information behind it, which I want to pass on to people."

Also open in winter

This effort to impart knowledge and the unspoiled Carinthian natural landscape with its mountains and lakes make the vacation unique. And the Petritschhof is particularly magical at Christmas time anyway: when the animals in the barn snort contentedly as they eat their hay, the first snowflakes dance from the sky outside and the ski resorts are just a stone's throw away, this offer makes winter here in the south a real all-round experience.