IN HARMONY

WITH NATURE

IN HARMONY

WITH NATURE

WE THINK IN GENERATIONS

For us as a vegetable farmer and family company, acting sustainably is a matter of course, because we think in terms of generations. Only by preserving an intact natural environment and its biodiversity will we be able to continue growing and harvesting healthy vegetables in the future. Protecting and preserving our natural environment is therefore a matter of particular concern to us.

PROMOTING BIODIVERSITY – OUR NATURAL HELPERS

Preserving and promoting biodiversity is important for the entire ecosystem, including for us as vegetable farmers. A variety of insects and animals help us to fight pests in a natural way and to pollinate our fruit crops. These animals are known as beneficial organisms.

 

NATURAL AREAS

We create a wide range of natural areas around our fields, by removing arable land from production. These provide habitats and sanctuaries for a variety of animals, including wild bees, butterflies, beetles, hedgehogs, songbirds, birds of prey and bats. Each of these species is part of a sensitive food chain and important for the balance of the nature in which we work.

 

PILES OF STONES – A HOME FOR CRAWLING ANIMALS

The building of piles of stones is actually a side effect of our agricultural work. When we plough the fields, rocks come to the surface. We collect these and leave them piled up next to our fields. Hedgehogs, lizards, beetles and other crawling animals feel at home here. Hedgehogs, for example, feed on snails and keep them away from our salads.

 

DEADWOOD – A VALUABLE RESOURCE

Simply leaving deadwood around our fields is one of the best ways to provide a refuge and nesting place for a variety of animals. Hedgehogs, slow worms, lizards and insects, for example, feel at home here.

 

NESTING OPPORTUNITIES FOR BIRDS

Birds are an important part of the natural balance and are worthy of protection. We place nesting boxes on trees for a wide variety of species (songbirds, hawks and owls), because the natural environment offers fewer and fewer nesting opportunities for these birds. Where can you still find ancient, hollow trees, for example? Birds also help us with plant protection. They keep caterpillars away from our vegetables, among other things.

 

INSECT HOTELS

We have installed many small insect hotels in our fields, as well as a vast 12 m x 3 m insect hotel in Kölzin (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in Germany). There is also another large insect hotel at our location in Spain. First and foremost, these hotels provide wild bees with a home, but other insects and animals are also welcome. Lacewings, whose larvae keep lice and spider mites away from our vegetables, find shelter here, for example.

 

FLOWER STRIPS AND MEADOWS

Flowering areas are an important food source for bees and other insects. Since 2009, we have been systematically planting flower strips and flower meadows for one or more years, now covering an area of over 150 hectares.

 

CONSERVATION OF ISLAND-LIKE SMALL WATER BODIES 

On our fields, there are some small bodies of water that resemble islands. These are known locally as "Sölle" and are an important biotope for endangered species. They are used as “stepping stones” by small migratory animals such as frogs, toads, newts and salamanders to help them safely navigate the fields and provide them with a habitat.

 

PERCHES FOR BIRDS OF PREY

We set up perches for birds of prey at the edges of fields. These provide them with a place to perch and making it easier for them to see their prey.

HEALTHY VEGETABLES NEED HEALTHY, LIVING SOIL

Soil is an extremely diverse and complex ecosystem, home to billions of organisms such as bacteria, fungi and worms. We must understand this and keep our soil healthy. After all, healthy earth, rich in humus and with a diverse soil life, is the basis for our work and the prerequisite for high-quality vegetables. In both conventional and organic cultivation, we make sure that we cultivate the soil in such a way that it remains healthy.

 

We focus on a wide crop rotation. The fields are planted alternately with different types of vegetables and other agricultural crops (at least 4 to 5 crops in a crop rotation). Breaks in cultivation are also introduced and catch crops such as lupins are sown so that the soil has the chance to regenerate and build up humus.

 

 

To prevent erosion, we make sure that our fields are planted wherever possible. This ensures that the growing areas are not left open and the fertile soil is not carried away by wind and water. It also means that less CO2 escapes from the soil.

 

To build up humus and promote soil life, we add organic fertilisers such as manure, compost and green manure to the soil.

 

Since we pack our vegetables directly in the field, crop residues (such as outer leaves and the water from washing) remain in the field. This organic matter therefore remains where it has grown and serves as starting fertiliser for the next crop after humification and mineralisation.

 

We use soil-friendly equipment and systems at all our locations. At first glance, it may seem paradoxical, but our 12-metre cultivation width is gentler on the ground than the standard 1.5-metre bed system. Instead of 8 passes over 12 metres, only one is needed. The lower number of tracks reduces the area affected by soil erosion and ground pressure.

HEALTHY SOIL
IS FULL OF LIFE

There is a rich variety of life in the soil, which for us humans is usually impossible to see with the naked eye. After all, we can’t see fungi and bacteria, but we can see earthworms. The earthworm is an important and indispensable beneficial organism. It feeds on organic material such as plant remnants and produces valuable humus in the process. As it moves through the earth, it loosens up the soil and improves the air and water supply to the ground.

SOIL – AN IMPORTANT CLIMATE PROTECTOR

Our soil also plays an important role in climate protection. This is because the humus in the soil stores twice as much carbon as the wood in the trees, for example. It is important that the soil is covered whenever possible, as more carbon is released from unplanted soil. We all need to remember that healthy soil, rich in humus and full of life, captures and stores more CO2, is better able to withstand extreme weather conditions such as heavy rain and drought and produces high-quality vegetables in the long term.

Freshly harvested from outdoor cultivation.

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