Welcome on Black Forest Farms Learn about the Black Forest

The Black Forest - a Unique Landscape

Without us farmers the Black Forest was still an impenetrable, pitch-dark forest in the middle of Europe. It was us who formed the unique landscape. About a thousand years ago we started to clear the land  in some valleys. On this land we built our farms and raised our cattle, thus creating the lovely mixture of forest and pastures. 
Times have gone by. No longer can you see a brown bear or a wolf in the Black Forest. Our shedherds, however, tell us about  traces of the lynx nowadays.

Our trees went all over the world. We rafted the mighty tree trunks down the Rhine to Amsterdam. There they were used for many sailing ships in the 16th to 18th century.

Nowadays many travellors admire

• the wonderful calmness of the Black Forest
• the marvellous sightseeing to the Alps during day-time and to the stars during night-time
• the amount of activities (hiking, biking, skiing during winter, ...)
• and yet the closeness of  culture 
• the friendliness of its inhabitants
• the fresh and healthy air of the Black Forest
  

Sometimes people from the Black Forest celebrate a party wearing their festival garment. Each valley or village has its own style. Usually married women, spinsters, and widows can be distinguished by the colors of their traditional costume.

Black Forest Farm Buildings - An Outstanding Performance of Our Ancestors

The winter times could be very long and full of snow. So our ancestors put everything they needed under one roof: apartment for the farmer´s family, a little apartment for the farmer´s elderly, rooms for the milkmaids and farm-hands, the stable for cows and some pigs and an immense place for storing hay. Even the bron was under or next to thefarm building. The cattle had to be fed by hay from about October until June. The steep roofs enabled large storage room and they let the snow glide down, so its weight  will not damage the roof.

Fire protection was another important point. There belongs a fire pond to every farm house. Many ponds are nowadays used for fishing or bathing by kids additionally.

Fire protection was another important point. There belongs a fire pond to every farm house. Many ponds are nowadays used for fishing or bathing by kids additionally.

The farms were build so that its inhabitants could almost completely live on their own. There was always a spring next to it. There was always some forest belonging to it, so the huge tile oven between kitchen and living-room could be fired. An own garden, a chapel, a baking house, a water-mill, and an outhouse  for storing the rye and other utilities are still part of many farms nowadays. 

Each farm in the Black Forest had its typical bakehouse.  Some farmers still use theirs today.

Black Forest Cattle - A Well-Adapted Race Bred from Black Forest Farmers

This is the typical race for Black Forest cattle.  Small, light and ready to eat about almost every quality of grass.   It can climb up steep mountains and still keep the turf undamaged. Still, there is one disadvantage.  These cows do not give ten thousands of liters of milk per years.   Farmers have to produce for prices almost as low as the world market.  So the Black Forest Farmers have to be very, very clever to earn enough money.

Black Forest People: Well-Adapted to Changes  -  for Generations

Black Forest people had to be clever for generations:

• 500 years ago, the silver mines where no longer profitable (Columbus imported too much cheap silver).  The Black Forest people found a new source of income: rafting tree trunk for the many shipbuilding companies.
• About 200 years ago the rafting of tree trunks stopped to be a splendid income due to the industrial revolution.   A lot of energy was needed in the growing towns of the Rhine Valley: Charcoal was good to sell. And it was comparatively lightweighted.   So rafting tree trunk was replaced by producing charcoal.  And the coocoos clocks were a great invention.
• 120 years ago, the end of producing charcoal was due.  Tourism came up. The clocks remained important.
• 40 years ago much of the watch industry closed down due to cheap Asian products.  The manpower and knowledge of many worker was used otherwise: a highly specialized mechanical industry increased.
• 30 years ago: The very last farms were electrified!!! 

• Guess, what will happen within the next 50 years?

   Just come and see us!

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