The trip of a lifetime

Glistening white coats serve to highlight the slightly sassy look in their eyes, while their highly discerning palates are constantly on the alert: Michael's little ladies definitely call the shots at the Mandl goat farm, with their farmer and boss firmly under their thumb. Which doesn't seem to bother him much: “When you've been dealing with goats for 23 years, you know exactly what mood each animal is in, whether it's feeling under the weather, needs its peace and quiet, or just wants to play.” But just how did Michael settle on raising goats? “Easy. My parents ran a cattle ranch in the Bucklige Welt (Lower Austria’s ‘Hill Country’), complete with dairy cows and fattening steers. On top of all the usual farm animals, I was eager to raise an animal of my own. So one fine day, my first goat Esther came to the farm.” Despite his father's resistance, Michael soon realised that a goat needs company, and after several clandestine excursions to the handsome neighbourhood billy goat’s farm, the first kids arrived in a few months’ time. “At first, my dad didn't exactly relish the idea of working with goats. But at some point, changes in the farming sector forced us to rethink our operation. The combined effects of joining the European Union, stricter regulations, dwindling income, and the slump in milk and beef prices made it tougher and tougher to run a profitable business.”

A one-way trip

A fair amount of milk is produced by a trip of goats, and it was Michael's mother who first started making cheese from it. The business took off amazingly well. In 1998, they opened a separate bank account for the income from goat products, and only a year later the last cow had left the farm. But by that time, Michael was pursuing his own path as well: his studies took him first to Wieselburg, and later Vienna. So when there was talk of his taking over the farm in 2012, it was immediately obvious to the fledgling food technologist that he would heed the call of home. “The buzz of the city with all its noise, the heavy traffic, and living in an apartment complex where you don't even know your neighbour's name - in the long run, it just wasn't my cup of tea.” So he bought a one-way ticket back to devote all his energy to his trip of nanny goats, which has now grown to 140. He milks them daily, then immediately processes the milk. “I don't mind getting up at four in the morning to start work in the barn. But if you’re counting your hours, you probably shouldn’t be on a farm ...” Michael and his family produce a delicious range of the finest products from their certified organic milk: chili, herb, and pumpkin seed-flavoured goat cheese balls, cheese rolls covered in fragrant mountain herbs, creamy plain yogurt, tasty spreads and, needless to say, milk. New ideas pop up every year, making the work on the farm both creative and varied, but the main thing is that customers like what they taste. So his one-way trip (of goats) has paid off in the end.

Success is its own award

Incidentally, the Mandls' successful operating concept was awarded the Austrian Climate Protection Prize in 2015. Because the process cycle on the goat farm is so finely tuned, according to Michael, pointing to how a new era was ushered in with the construction of an IFS-certified farm cheese dairy. The pasteurization of the milk is accomplished by a hot water heating system powered by wood chips from the farm's own forest. Solar power is supplied by powerful photovoltaic panels, and water is sourced from an on-site well that is shared with the neighbour. Finally, the feed for the picky goats’ discerning palates is grown on the farm's own fields – it was always Michael's goal to live self-sufficiently with respect to energy and thus be independent.

A trip to the ‘Hill Country’

For those who want to dive into the world of goats, plenty of entertainment awaits. You can buy everything from A-Z at the farm store, where you also have a direct view into the goat barn. The goat panorama with its ‘nanny theatre’ along with a goat petting zoo and a milking station are especially popular with children, while a walk in the herb garden allows you to admire close up some of the ingredients for future cheese specialties. Lastly, you can let your gaze wander over the glorious panorama of the Bucklige Welt (the Hill Country) as you relax and unwind.