Landhaus-Eichelseifen

When chance brings us wonderful experiences, we often experience the most exciting moments in life, as happened on my short hike from Kopp to Weißenseifen. 
Many hiking enthusiasts are probably familiar with the tiresome problem of finding a beautiful trail, magnificent scenery, but no restaurants or stores in the immediate vicinity. Are there alternatives? Usually not, unfortunately, but as we all know, hope dies last.

On a beautiful fall afternoon, I came across a little shop on the Kopper circular trail no. 12 just before Weißenseifen. Signs on the door promised fresh eggs, honey and first aid for hikers. The usual self-service sales, I thought, and opened the door. What surprised me and also fascinated me afterwards was the variety of products and information that could be packed into the compact space of one square meter. 
My appetite was whetted immediately! Regional fruit juices, eggs, honey, vinegar, goat's cheese, meat products, plus various snacks and cool refreshments for hikers.
It's the many details that take a little while to take in. In addition to food, a creative mind had also provided plasters for hikers and various information about the in-house farm and food producers from the region. In principle, this service can be used 7/7 all year round.

I was curious and really wanted to get to know the creators of this special marketing idea, so I made the acquaintance of Claudia-Ariane & Udo Pick from Eichelseifen. The Eifel couple have owned a plot of land in the immediate vicinity of the Weißenseifen artists' settlement for several years.
It's something of a soul project that they run in this place. Their small farm with fruit trees, poultry farming and bee colonies has developed to some extent from their youngest son's chicken farm. In the beginning, friends and walk-in customers were the first customers for the eggs and there was often nothing left over for their own family. So one step after another followed, too few eggs led to another henhouse and, as fruit trees need to be fertilized, her own bees were soon flying around in acorn soaps.
In the meantime, three henhouses, several beehives and a variety of fruit and Christmas trees have to be tended all year round. 
The idea for the little shop came from existing customers and passing hikers, Claudia-Ariane Pick reports. The easy and unlimited access to regional products, the desire for fresh drinking water or protection from bad weather inspired her and her husband to set up the current kiosk. Both are very close to nature themselves and know these needs from their own experience. This is also evident in the many loving and thoughtful details with which they run their small business. "The customer's needs come first and should always be taken into account," propagates former project manager Udo Pick.

Principles such as sustainability and regional value creation play a key role in the couple's lives. They consider short transport routes for buying and selling, the active involvement of neighboring producers and cooperation with local retailers to be self-evident and necessary. Recommendations from customers are the best form of advertising. Unlimited growth is not the order of the day here, animal welfare must remain species-appropriate and everything must be possible as a sideline. These principles are very close to the hearts of the down-to-earth couple. 
Claudia-Ariane & Udo Pick are not short of ideas, but time has shown certain limits to what is possible. They would like to pass on their values and experience to younger generations and are already working on further project ideas.
If you would like to enjoy the variety of regional products for yourself, you should take a map and go on a hike or simply stop by Eichelseifen. There will soon be a seating area right next to the kiosk, and e-bikers are welcome to charge their batteries. Further information can be found via the link.

The experiences from my chance discovery make me want to be more proactive. You should never give up on putting your ideals and visions into practice, as my short but lasting visit taught me. Regional economy and value preservation are important for Gerolsteiner Land. That's why the tourism team would like to regularly report on small and large projects in the region and the people behind them. Share our article or draw our attention to regional specials. We are happy to report!

Landhaus Eichelseifen
Eichelseifen 2
54570 Mürlenbach
Tel.: +49 160 6693566