Family Maag

The elderflower farmer’s family

The children, parents and grandparents all work together on the “Maagfarm” in Wyssachen in the Canton of Berne, as they have for generations. The most extraordinary feature of the family farm is its stock of 170 elderflower trees. Throughout the year, the family invests a great deal of time and effort to tend to its elderflower blossoms. It involves enormous amounts of manual work, care and passion. The white, fragrant blossoms are being processed into soothing ingredients. They develop their full effect in Ricola’s elderflower herbal sweets, refreshing mouth and throat in equal part. Elderflower blossoms and berries are medicinal herbs and help with fever, head colds and coughs.

Elderflower trees require attention all year round

Elderflower berries come into flower in June. The white blossoms are not just lovely to look at, they are also wonderfully fragrant. June is when the blossom harvest starts on the Maagfarm. With great care and affection, each blossom is individually picked by hand. The entire family helps where they can with the harvest, which takes up to three weeks. Afterwards, the flowers are dried and passed on to Ricola, where they are being processed into elderflower sweets.

Elderflower trees need a great deal of care and attention all year round and they also require protection from pests. Mice are a serious problem – they love the roots of the elderflower trees. To prevent damage by mice, the Maags place mouse traps all over the elderflower orchard. They keep the mice from nibbling at the roots. Another common pest are lice. Once they have infested a tree, they multiply quickly and suck it dry, particularly during warm spells. The Maags fight lice with organic pesticides.

In spring, the trees are pruned. Old branches are cut so that more light reaches the younger growth, which then thrives. This leads to even larger and more beautiful blossoms, ensuring a rich harvest.

Elderflower, a sweet and healthy plant

In Swiss agriculture, roughly 27 hectares of soil is used for elderflower production (as of 2017). The flowers and berries are mostly used to make cordial or herbal sweets that are soothing for the throat and mouth. Elderflower juice is rich in vitamin C and zinc and therefore strengthens the immune system. In natural medicine, the berries, flowers and leaves are used to make ointments. The essential oils in the flower have mucolytic and diaphoretic properties. As a household remedy, elderflower can be used for slight burns. In the past, even the bark was used – for detoxification and as a detergent.

Three generations under one roof

“Being a farmer is the best job there is! Unlike in other jobs, thinking in quarters, half-years and years will simply not do. We think and act long-term, in generations”, says farm manager Markus Maag. Today, three generations live and work together on the Maagfarm. By moving to this farm, the family has fulfilled a long-standing dream, Markus goes on to explain with a smile. Wife Anja also enjoys the country life to the fullest. She lends a hand wherever she can – be it in the stables or during the elderflower harvest. The children are keen helpers, too. Of course, the farm is also a vast playground for them. They love to drive around the courtyard with their little pedal tractor.

Discover and experience the Maagfarm

In addition to growing elderflower and to the keeping of farm animals, the Maag family offers guided tours, farm competitions or an elderflower afternoon. Proudly, they show us around their little paradise. Other occupants of the farm include the happily clucking chickens and fifteen mother cows and their calves frolicking around the meadows. A day might not be enough to see all of what Maagfarm has to offer. Those who wish to stay for longer have the opportunity to sleep in the old farmhouse that has been converted to accommodate up to forty people.

Events on the Maag Farm
Our webseite www.maagfarm.ch

Recipe for elderflower cordial

Ingredients for one litre of cordial

1 l Water
1 kg sugar
20g citric acid
10 elderflower umbels

Preparation

Dissolve sugar in water and bring to a boil. Then add the citric acid. Place elderflower blossoms in a bowl and pour the sugar water over it. Cover with a piece of cloth and let steep for approximately 24 hours. Strain the cordial into a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Bottle the finished cordial. Immediately seal the bottles and let the cordial cool in the bottles.

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