Marion and Simon Schiller

With the Schillers, everything is in the right place (livestock): The heart for the family, the profession, which is actually also a vocation, the passion for farming, the cycle of production of their products from the barn to the farm shop.

It is a classic family business that Marion and Simon Schiller have built up together over the last few years. The animals that belong to the farm are of course the main protagonists. There are around 50 dairy cows, which live a stone's throw away in the bright and airy outdoor climate-controlled barn just outside the village, and 300 chickens, which can roam outside as and when they please.

The small village of Theras at the eastern end of the Waldviertel has a population of around 250 and its farming structures date back to the Middle Ages. The former stately Therasburg Castle sits enthroned next door and the climate is somewhat reminiscent of the mild neighbouring Weinviertel.

"Our overriding principle is that the animals are doing well," says Marion. "Because it's actually just like us humans - we only enjoy working when we feel comfortable and well." Calm and gentle, loving treatment of all animals is an important part of the daily work. Every cow and every calf is known by name. "They are part of the family and not just a number in the barn." The animals are fed what is grown on the farm itself, which is certified GMO-free: grass, maize, hay or meal from the farm's own cereals such as maize, barley or wheat. Conversely, the farm manure from the cowshed is returned to the meadows and fields.

The milk is sold to a dairy but is also processed directly on the farm into yoghurt, curd cheese, cream cheese, semi-hard cheese and ice cream. Pasta is also made from the eggs.