#HowWeLive: Elisabeth's journey back to the roots

You can feel the familiarity between man and animal. Elisabeth Mosser is busy milking the cows in the newly built barn. There are currently 17 of them. They provide the raw material for the culinary delicacies from their own production, which have made the Binter farm one of the top addresses for direct marketing for more than 30 years.

Particularly popular among the numerous refined dairy products alongside meat and bacon: the Topfentraum. A sweet creamy curd cheese with a dash of jam that makes every palate beat faster. "It's so wonderfully versatile," enthuses the young farmer, before immediately adding her own advertising slogan: "For breakfast for a good start to the day, as a sweet treat after lunch, as a reward after a long day or simply in between". Numerous awards and "Genusskronen" (gourmet crowns) testify to the quality of the products made at the Binter farm.

Family-owned for 350 years

In the middle of the mountains, nestled in an idyllic natural setting, lies the municipality of Berg im Drautal. A place that has always attached great importance to sustainable regionality and is a member of the "Slow Food Carinthia" initiative, which promotes small-scale agriculture based on the principle of "good, clean and fair". Three generations live there on the Binter farm, which has been in the family for over 350 years. Living and working in and with nature. Birgit and Josef Mosser do not need to worry about their heritage. Elisabeth, the younger of the two daughters, has been doing things together with her parents for a long time - after careful consideration and a few detours, which led to her decision to tackle things at home too. "Thank God I had the right idea," says the young woman looking back. Before and in between, she completed a degree in nursing and healthcare management at the Carinthia University of Applied Sciences, traveled extensively and dreamed of becoming a police officer in New York. Plenty of time to think about herself, life and her own future. Until these years of Sturm und Drang, which she calls the "revolutionary period", finally gave her the "right idea" to become a farmer after all.

Just like her mother and grandmother and many other women who "are finally getting the recognition for their achievements that they have always deserved. Being a woman at court? "I'm a simple person, I don't need painted fingernails," says the young farmer, who is just as happy to style herself out, as she calls it. Styled in a dirndl or in the latest fashion style.

Everything in motion

There is no generational conflict on the Binter farm. Problems, projects and plans are discussed together and the division of roles works. "Dad is the thinker and leader," says Elisabeth, who then works with her mother on creative implementation. Whether it's new products in direct marketing or the design of the two newly renovated vacation apartments for guests who have been enjoying Farm holidays for decades. The leitmotif of the Binter-Hof is also reflected there: in harmony with nature and the forest, harmonious interiors with wooden planks from old trees or a converted horse-drawn sleigh as a bed were created during the last renovation.

The next projects on the Binter farm are already in the starting blocks, albeit still well-kept secrets. "In this job, everything is always in motion. You don't know what the day will bring," enthuses Elisabeth Mosser, who finds standing still totally daunting. That's why she continues to travel so that she can return home with the good feeling that home is the best place to be.