The past weekend in Wien saw the celebration of the famous „Erntedankfest 2018„. Modelled upon the centuries-old autumnal tradition in Austria of giving thanks to God for a plentiful harvest and a fruitful year, the event in the heart of the city has grown to accommodate a wide myriad of vendors and craftspeople alongside those original stalwarts, the farmers and food-producers. Primarily organised by the Austrian Young Farmers organisation, the festival brought a ‚taste‘ of farm-life to the big city: to demonstrate the processes involved in the agricultural world, demonstrate traditional methods of and to display the bounteous abundance of foodstuffs which are the fruits of their long-awaited labours. In addition, attendees are treated to a entertaining display of traditional Austrian culture, with floral-bedecked procession floats, brass-bands and folk-dancing galore!

With approximately 45% of the total land area given over farming, two-thirds of Austria’s farms are located in alpine pastures, which serves to illustrate the ingenuity, commitment and determination required to thrive in such challenging environments. Noted amongst European nations for a commitment to organic farming, the excellence of the produce in this small landlocked country is second-to-none and the ready availability of quality food is testimony to the nation’s numerous farmers and food-producers.

Taking a little step back from the hustle and bustle of the Erntedankfest, it must be noted that the characteristics required to live the vocation of a farmer is an unsung theme oft overlooked, yet which contains in it a powerful testimony to the fact that food is not simply produced. Rather, it is the result of hard and demanding work over time: the consideration involved in deciding which various fruits and vegetables, herbs and livestock are to be raised to maturity; the slow preparing of the land; the attentiveness required in the care of animals and crops through all conditions and difficulties; the patience needed as time goes by, so as to wait until the right time to harvest; the hard-work and long-hours necessary, required in the early hours of the morning and into the late hours of night, so as to attend all those unseen and thankless tasks. In a quiet and unassuming way, it is this continuum between the land and that which nourishes us which I find personally the most impressive: connecting the starting point in the earth, as nature’s bounties are transformed through strenuous work and time itself, with the end-result being that which graces the dinner-table. All the better then to meet the people who care for other persons in a direct and very elemental way, as they grow, raise and prepare the food which we eat. So the next time you enjoy a delicious Wiener Schnitzel or Kaspressknödel; discover a new favourite Bergkäse or variety of Wurst; bite through the crunchy exterior of a freshly-baked Kaisersemmel (perhaps with Butter and Marillenmarmelade!) or spend a relaxing evening with a glass of wine with friends, watching the sun go down in one of the many Heurigers in the surroundings of Wien, take a moment for a note of appreciation. For when we look at the food before us on our plate, that which sustains us, let us remember that it is the fruit of the labours of many hands, and may we give thanks for the quiet dignity contained within.

Mahlzeit!

Aoífe-Maria Beglin