The Ortnerhof in Spiluck: Pure Women Power
Farmer Barbara Tratter and her family run the dairy farm and guesthouse with determination and a healthy dose of humor, even in challenging times.

It’s a cold, grey December morning when the Brimi Kurier sets out for the Ortnerhof. A light dusting of snow covers the small hamlet of Spiluck, part of the municipality of Vahrn. The farm sits high above the Brixen valley, offering panoramic views of the Plose and the Aferer Geisler mountains. From a distance, farmer Barbara Tratter waves and calls out a quick message before disappearing back into the barn: “I’ll be with you in a minute.” Her partner, Daniel Lindner from Pfunders, welcomes us into the cozy lounge of the guesthouse, which is closed today. “Monday and Tuesday are our rest days.”

Anyone entering the Ortnerhof is greeted with a warm, cheerful laugh. Barbara Tratter’s family of five lives on the farm: her mother Anna, her sister Maria, and her daughter Heidi. Full-on women power. “It can get pretty lively around here,” Barbara laughs. The multi-generational household is “our greatest blessing.” Everyone pitches in, laughter fills the air, and guests are welcomed with genuine warmth.

Hard Times

Barbara Tratter is the farmer in charge. At 37, she’s the second of three daughters. Becoming a farmer wasn’t always in the cards for her. “The barn was really my father’s domain,” she says. While her mother Anna managed the guesthouse and cared for visitors, her father Willi preferred working with the animals. He wasn’t particularly fond of having women in the barn. “That’s why I went to hospitality school instead of agricultural school.” She had imagined herself helping out in the guesthouse one day—perhaps in the kitchen or in service.

After an injury left Willi with his arm in a cast, he needed help in the barn. It was Anna who suggested Barbara step in to assist him. “At first we didn’t get along at all—we were both too stubborn,” Barbara recalls, laughing. “But eventually he accepted my help.” When her father later required heart surgery, Barbara took care of the cows and the farm. His unexpected passing in 2019 hit hard: “That was a tough time.”
Barbara had to take over the farm: ten cows and two calves waited in the barn, and about 50 chickens roamed the property. The farm includes three hectares of forest, nearly seven hectares of meadows, and a small alpine pasture with another hectare of grassland. Taking on this responsibility was a challenge—especially in the beginning. “I simply didn’t know enough about farming.” But giving up—though some advised her to—was never an option for Barbara. “I’m too ambitious for that. And my parents had started the dairy farm while still in debt. I wanted to carry it on.”

Over time, she learned to manage farm life: “Luckily, I always had helping hands I could rely on—our neighbor supported us whenever he could, especially with mowing in summer,” Barbara says. She also learned how to manage the difficulties of a dairy operation. “Someone once told me the high cell count in my milk might be due to a virus in the barn. Since then, the Ortnerhof’s milk quality has ranked among the top 100 in Brimi every year,” she adds proudly.

Working Together

The Ortnerhof is one of the oldest farms in Spiluck and once belonged to the nearby Hanserhof. It has been in the Tratter family for three generations. In 1972, they opened the guest lounge, and eleven years later, Willi married Anna, who originally came from Antholz. That was also when dairy farming began at the Ortnerhof. “The eighties were really good,” Anna recalls. Many guests from Germany and Italy visited during that time, and the farm used to offer full board. Anna can look back on 40 busy years and is now trying to take things a little easier. “Cooking, knitting, and looking after granddaughter Heidi,” she says contentedly.

Today, in addition to the guesthouse, the Ortnerhof offers a few rooms with half-board service. There’s plenty of work to be done, and every helping hand is crucial to keeping things running smoothly. “Thank God my mother is still in the kitchen, and I can count on my sister too,” Barbara says. Daniel has lived on the farm for four years and helps out whenever possible alongside his work as a forester. The eldest sister, Monika, now lives in Raas with her family.