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Quitting water buffalo farming – In conversation with an organic farm from Upper Austria

In 2013, the first water buffalo entered Beate and Herbert Schachner’s organic farm in Upper Austria. It was a complete career change for the two physiotherapists, who had previously only farmed the inherited farm for grain. Now, 11 years and a lot of experience later, the two are getting out of water buffalo farming.

In today’s interview with the two water buffalo farmers, they give us an insight into the reality of life on small-scale (organic) farms and the challenges they face today and how they came to get out of water buffalo farming.

Beate and Herbert in the paddock with their water buffaloes

How did you originally get into organic farming and water buffalo farming in particular?

Beate: The basic prerequisite for us being able to farm at all was that we inherited a farm. And because we’ve always been interested in conscious nutrition, it was clear to us that if we already had a farm, we would farm it organically. But it wasn’t clear for a long time that we would do it ourselves. Initially, when we took over the farm, all the land was leased. Then we started to think that it would be exciting if we at least started growing a little grain and so we gradually took one field after another out of the lease.

Herbert: And we started with the water buffalo because we have some wet meadows that don’t allow any other agricultural use. At the same time, we were looking for a niche product. Because we are conscious meat eaters who like to eat high-quality meat and wanted to produce it, we started with water buffalo.

The water buffalo herd

What challenges have you faced in water buffalo breeding in recent years?

Herbert: Water buffalo breeding in and of itself was not complicated, but the difficulty and challenge was simply the marketing situation. Because the Ukraine crisis and the increased costs have also increased the operating costs of our farm. And on the other hand, consumers have spent noticeably less money on food. This has made it much more difficult to market the meat.

What does regionality mean for you and your business and also for the marketing of your products?

Herbert: We sell the meat exclusively from the farm, which means that our customers are from the region and collect the meat from our farm. The only exception is that we have a certain customer base in Vienna, but this was built up through acquaintances and relatives. After each slaughter, we also deliver a certain amount to our direct customers in Vienna.

Beate: And we do it CO2 neutral by train.

The water buffalo in their mud wallow

Agriculture is constantly changing, whether due to climate change or political conditions. How do you see the future of organic farming?

Beate: Not bright. We are also seeing all around us that farms are struggling economically. Many are throwing in the towel and can no longer run the business – the workload is simply so incredibly high and the bottom line is simply not nearly enough. Many are producing to a zero-sum game. It’s also not right that society doesn’t reward the idealistic and forward-looking work that is being done. On the contrary, more and more regulations are being imposed and the conditions under which production is expected to take place are becoming increasingly difficult – this is often no longer sustainable for small businesses. We need customers who support direct marketers. Without these customers, direct marketing will die within a few years and then there will no longer be this ‘Genusssalon Österreich’, which is so widely propagated in the tourism industry, for example. If we don’t support direct marketers and small producers accordingly, then such businesses will no longer exist in the future.

Herbert: And to answer the question about climate change: depending on the weather conditions, climate change naturally makes certain sectors more difficult. Four or five years ago, we as a grassland farm suffered extremely from the summer drought. Grass is dependent on rainfall and if there is no rainfall for weeks, no grass grows, which is an incredible challenge for grassland farms.

Herbert feeds a water buffalo with a handful of grass

You have emphasized how important it is for people to buy regional products: How do people in your region react to your products and your commitment to sustainability and regionality?

Herbert: Yes, there are some people who support us, but the percentage is very small. In this respect, it is difficult to have a correspondingly large customer base that thinks this way. Such people do exist, but the number of people is manageable and, from our point of view, the number of people who think and act like this has not necessarily increased in recent years.

Beate: No, quite the opposite. We used to be able to count on receiving so many inquiries from so many new customers every month – and these new customers are almost non-existent. But you can’t live without new customers, because even in direct marketing you have a certain fluctuation of customers. Although we have a customer base that is relatively loyal to us, new customers have to keep coming in and if that is no longer the case, for whatever reason, then it simply doesn’t work.

Herbert with a calf
Beate next to a water buffalo

What do you think could help with the marketing of regional products?

Herbert: Social media. If you want to acquire new customers, you have to think about approaching them and that’s the step we never managed to take due to interest and time constraints. We have a homepage, but that’s the only thing. We didn’t use any other channels for marketing and it wasn’t possible due to a lack of interest and time. It could certainly have made a difference if we had used these marketing channels actively and professionally. But that takes know-how and time.

Is it even possible to manage the balancing act between ecological values and economic success in organic farming in the long term?

Beate: No, not under these conditions. The small farmers in particular won’t make it. A few large ones will manage somehow, but all those who are small and under twenty hectares will not make it sooner or later. Even the younger generation won’t be able to take over because they all see how much work their parents have to do and how little is left at the end of the day – people don’t want to take over a farm under these conditions.

Herbert: The problem is the funding structure. The support structure in the agricultural sector does not promote small-scale agriculture where food is produced in high quality and by hand. This is currently not supported in such a way that it is viable. This is a political problem and society needs to consider whether high-quality food should continue to be produced, and if so, then the support system needs to be changed.

You have decided to gradually withdraw from water buffalo farming. What are the main reasons for this step?

Beate: On the one hand, the excessive workload, which means that you have to be present 365 days a year, with no prospect of vacation or a normal social life. And on the other hand, the financial situation. There is simply not enough left over. If at least the work we do was compensated accordingly, if we had no problems with marketing, if the demand was so great that we had the feeling that customers were snatching the meat out of our hands, then it might still have been interesting. But as it is, it’s not much fun.

Herbert lovingly holds the head of a water buffalo

But have you also had some nice and positive experiences in the course of your work?

Herbert: Yes, of course. Water buffalo are animals that are very archaic creatures and have an extraordinary character and herd cohesion. Working with these extraordinary animals was very impressive. There were funny and also simply very beautiful and intense moments.

Beate: We basically kept the animals in such a way that each of us was able to touch them. That’s a different approach than if you had an anonymous herd somewhere. We had petting animals, which means we had very intensive contact with the animals and were able to do things with them that a normal farmer can’t do. For example, we were able to cut their hooves while they were lying down without a catching stand, or we pulled a nail out of an injured animal’s hoof, or we rescued a calf from the wallow while its mother stood next to it and simply watched us. There were so many experiences that would not have been possible if we had not maintained such close contact with the animals and had not made sure that our calves could be stroked from birth.

A muddy hand pats the muddy water buffalo

What are your plans for the future now that you are leaving water buffalo farming behind? Are there any new projects or visions that you are pursuing?

Herbert: The agricultural land has been leased to a farmer friend and organic farmer who will mainly grow soy on our land. And my freed-up time resources can be put to new uses: For example, for experimenting with soy processing – producing high-quality protein from plant sources rather than animal sources as before. We now have time to carry out experiments to produce tempeh from the soybeans grown here and market this product regionally.

You can also visit the website of the water buffalo farm. Just click HERE.

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