Agriculture at Hasenacher Herrliberg
Man has farmed the landscape for thousands of years. An archaeological find at Chapftobel above Hasenacher even suggests that hunters and gatherers had already moved through the area much earlier. A cup-marked stone was excavated, which is said to have been used to ignite fire in the Bronze Age. With its wonderful location on the Pfannenstiel, formed by a lateral deposit of the Linth glacier, Hasenacher offers a magnificent view high above Herrliberg over Lake Zurich to the Alps. And even more importantly, the soils formed from moraine clay are particularly fertile.
The slightly sloping topography of Hasenacher is not suitable for intensive farming and industrial mass production. However, we are focusing on an alternative form of agriculture for a completely different reason: we are committed to careful and respectful use of Mother Nature’s valuable resources. Quality instead of quantity is our creed. With skill and patience, we refine and improve natural resources to produce unique delicacies.
Much of this still involves manual labour. It is exhausting, but also satisfying and inspiring. It encourages us to preserve the traditional while at the same time breaking new ground. This is reflected in our innovative range of products and our collaboration with the well-known magazine “Schweizer LandLiebe”, which maintains a much-admired show garden at Hasenacher.
Individually processed raw materials of the highest quality come at a price. Consequently, the products made from them are also valued and ultimately consumed with great discernment. Less is sometimes more, and we cheerfully accept the disadvantage of not being able to offer everything at any time of the year. Depending as they do on the season and the weather, Hasenacher products sell out quickly. Whether it’s grass-fed beef, fruit from the orchards, fruit or juices, the best thing to do is to ask us directly about our current range and the possibility of buying larger quantities or whole pieces. We look forward to your call.
Grass-fed Beef
We love our good-natured cattle, and we love their excellent meat. At Hasenacher this is not a contradiction in terms. On the contrary: we believe that treating the animal with respect has a lasting influence on the quality of our grass-fed beef. This begins with the careful selection of young cattle from the farmers in our neighbourhood, continues with species-appropriate and extensive grazing, and ends with stress-free slaughtering that is kind to the animals. And, throughout the approximately six months that the cattle spend with us, they enjoy grazing on our extensive meadows. They feed exclusively on the juicy Hasenacher grass, and occasionally, for a change, they get some hay – which, of course, we also produce ourselves.
High-stem trees
We cultivate about 200 high-stem fruit trees. About 160 of them belong to a young “generation” that was planted when we launched Hasenacher Stud&Farm. The tall trees that shape the landscape provide welcome shade on the pastures and, together with our four hectares of forest, contribute to an optimal microclimate for animals and humans. Above all, the fruit trees give us scope for exploring our wealth of ideas: apple, quince, pear, cherry, almond, mirabelle trees have now been joined by walnuts and chestnuts. It takes about five years for a young walnut tree to bear fruit for the first time. As we know, good things take time.
Truffles and other projects
In 2017, thirty truffle trees were planted at Hasenacher. The first step is for the truffle mushroom to develop. To do this, it enters into a symbiosis with the young beech or oak trees, which requires several years of habituation. If this is successful, the fungus begins to develop fruiting bodies within five to six years. We want to offer these truffles piece by piece by weight, or refined into truffle oil. Another project is the Hasenacher chicken coop. In the large free-range enclosure, the number of happily cackling hens is growing noticeably, which is why there are fresh eggs to enrich our product range. And when a flock of sheep started grazing our pastures, that inspired the sale of lamb.
Orders
We sell all Hasenacher Farm products directly from the farm. The product range we have on offer depends on the season and on availability. Just give us a call to find out more about our current selection. You can purchase Grass-fed Beef as a whole carcase (approx. 150 kg), half carcase (approx. 60 kg) or quarter carcase (approx. 30 kg). Although individually packed portions sell out quickly, you can usually still obtain larger pieces. The price list and the order form can be found under the following links.
Our Hasenacher Grass-fed Beef is available, frozen, in small quantities between 0.3 kg and 1 kg. If you are interested or have any questions, please contact us at the following address: christian.keller@hasenacher.com Phone +41 79 678 32 40
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