Austrian “Rebel Farmer” Holzer and His Permaculture
Those who have studied permaculture will likely be familiar with the name Sepp Holzer. As a pioneer in the field, Holzer is almost a household name in Austria, and his book *Holzer’s Permaculture* has long served as a foundational guide for enthusiasts worldwide.
This June, I travelled to Krameterhof, the farm founded by Holzer deep in the Central Alps, where I joined over twenty participants from around the world for a two-day guided tour and training programme organised by the farm.
More than a decade ago, the elderly Sepp Holzer handed over management of the 45-hectare property to his son. The highly talkative younger Holzer (Josef Andreas Holzer) guided us through this intensive two-day course.
I. Learning from Nature
The Central Alpine region where Komähofer Farm is located is relatively arid. Rainfall, though scarce, is highly erratic; a single heavy downpour can swiftly trigger flash floods.
While often categorised as a natural disaster, this is inextricably linked to human activity. Since the eighteenth century, the expansion of intensive agriculture and forestry has seen the original slopeside ponds and lakes filled in to make way for grain crops or commercial timber. Reconstructing these ponds aims to restore the local topography and natural ecosystem, thereby mitigating the destructive impact of flash floods.
Alongside their flood defence function, the Nordic crayfish raised in these ponds also form one of the farm’s main sources of income.
In 2022, I spent over six months conducting fieldwork on aquaculture in the Sangyuanwei area of Foshan. That experience left me particularly attuned to the self-sufficiency of agro-ecological systems that integrate water and land. China’s traditional mulberry-dike and fish-pond system operates as a closed loop: the nutrient-rich pond silt is commonly harvested and used as fertiliser for the mulberry trees planted along the banks. This prompted me to ask young Holzer whether he composted his pond silt.
He answered with sober seriousness: “If I were to use the pond silt for compost, my heart would bleed.”
In intensive aquaculture, failing to muck out the ponds promptly allows vast amounts of leftover feed and fish faeces to accumulate on the bottom. This readily leads to eutrophication, turning the silt black and foul-smelling, which in turn breeds disease among the stock. By contrast, the stocking densities at Komahof Farm are kept low, allowing the ponds’ natural ecosystems to remain largely self-balancing. A thriving population of benthic organisms plays a crucial role in breaking down organic matter, ensuring the silt never becomes a threat to the crayfish or the fish.
We continued weaving through the winding mountain paths, where plots of terraces were scattered along the curves of the road, each serving a distinct purpose.
The farm’s yellow cattle grazed freely across the slopes. Young Holzer had planted the hillside extensively with a highly prized medicinal herb: Gastrodia elata. We worried that the cattle might nibble on the crop and cut into the farm’s profits.
He explained with quiet pride that, through experimentation, he had discovered the herb’s bitter taste kept the cattle away. Rather than grazing on it, the animals would instead strip back the surrounding weeds, clearing space for the crop to thrive.
It is likely that this abundance of plant- and seed-eating birds drew a pair of buzzards to settle nearby. While these raptors occasionally snack on the farm’s chicks—effectively their “payment” for their services—they primarily prey on smaller birds. The farm faces a far greater threat from golden eagles, which target adult chickens and geese. In defence of their territory, the resident buzzards frequently drive off these larger predators.
A tour of the farm reveals just how thoughtfully the two Holzers have cultivated a working relationship with the local wildlife. Within anthropology and cultural studies, multispecies ethnography is now an established methodology, shifting the focus from human-centric narratives to examine how non-human actors shape social, economic, and political dynamics. The Komöllerhof farm stands as a textbook example of such multispecies collaboration, demonstrating precisely how animals contribute to the architecture of an agricultural ecosystem.
II. Respecting Limits
The natural conditions at Komarekhof Farm are hardly blessed. The climate is cold, with long, harsh winters, and woefully unprepared, we found ourselves shivering in the summer months while listening to the younger Holzer discuss his agricultural philosophy: “If you wish to practice sustainable agriculture, do not over-rely on modern technology to the point of pushing beyond the land’s natural limits.” He placed great emphasis on this.
Many assume that the Alpine slopes hosting the farm are suited only to pine forests and grazing pastures. In reality, however, intensive livestock farming is one of the primary drivers of soil degradation across the Alpine region. Both Holzers firmly reject the high-intensity exploitation of the land. Instead, by restoring the original terraced pond system, they have resolved the inherent difficulty of retaining water on steep slopes, while simultaneously laying the groundwork for diversified cultivation and livestock rearing.
The younger Holzer also reflected on the inherent limitations of farming. Rather than embarking on grand, blueprint-style plans from the outset, they launch small, experimental projects each year, guided by the farm’s current state. He believes that truly understanding a specific piece of land is a slow process. Overestimating one’s own capabilities and understanding of nature, he notes, often backfires.
In truth, the farm’s experimental ventures frequently fail. Yet, because each project requires limited investment, a setback rarely results in significant losses. Once a project succeeds, it can be effectively woven into the farm’s existing ecosystem, driving its continued prosperity.
For instance, the farm now boasts 72 ponds of varying shapes and functions. Interconnected to form a water network, they harness elevation differences to generate hydroelectric power, reliably meeting the farm’s daily energy needs.
While the actions of the two Holzer generations may seem rebellious, they are firmly rooted in pragmatism. Whenever they undertake ‘unconventional’ ventures, they carefully weigh the economic implications. Throughout the course, the younger Holzer repeatedly emphasised the importance of ecological diversity. Yet, rather than hearing tired moral platitudes, I detected a distinctly pragmatic, economic rationale.
He explained to us that diversified cultivation has saved the farm more than once. Following the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, for example, radioactive particles drifted across Central and Western Europe, prompting German and Austrian consumers to shy away from mushrooms. As late as 2021, wild mushrooms in Bavaria were still testing above legal limits for caesium-137. Consequently, many farms relying on monoculture mushroom production were forced into bankruptcy.
Although mushrooms were then a core product for Komöhof, they navigated the crisis successfully thanks to their diverse range of produce. Today, the farm’s portfolio spans aquaculture, livestock rearing, orchard cultivation, beekeeping, forestry, mushroom farming, and the cultivation of aromatic and medicinal plants.
Although the consultancy now generates far more revenue than crop sales, he insists on keeping each pillar financially independent. He believes that subsidising agricultural production with profits from other ventures would eventually reduce farming to merely a hobby, while the other two pillars would risk losing their foundation.
3. Reflections
Perhaps, as the younger Holzer has consistently emphasised, they may learn nothing at all: not only because the course lasts a mere two days, but also because Kamehof Farm’s model evolved from highly specific local conditions, and every individual and farm faces different circumstances.
Yet there is surely something for everyone to draw upon. As a methodology, whether it is recognising the limitations of both the land and oneself to turn disadvantages into strengths, or maintaining pragmatic ambitions, these serve as valuable reminders for newcomers to agriculture. Even as an outsider to agricultural practice, I was struck by how deeply these ideas resonated with the cultural research and artistic methodologies I am accustomed to.
On the journey back, the surrounding pine plantations and dairy farms pulled me back to reality. In truth, monoculture and intensive production still dominate Austrian agriculture and forestry, and the permaculture championed by the Holzers has had only a limited impact. The younger Holzer’s emphasis on reconnecting with nature, alongside the idyllic agricultural landscape, inevitably carries a faintly utopian tint.
Consequently, a question remains worth pondering: whilst we undoubtedly need to learn from nature, have we also fashioned it into a detached, almost mythical entity and a panacea for contemporary dilemmas? How might alternative agriculture move beyond mere spiritual refuge, gain wider recognition and adoption, and encourage the public to engage with broader, systemic agricultural issues?
There are no easy answers yet, but the course at Kamehof Farm has at least prompted me to think further.
– Introduction to Regenerative Farming Course Registration –
– Localised Ecological Agriculture Skills Co-learning Camp –
Editor: Ze’en