Unlike most other farms in the Val Venosta mountain area, the Brunner farm land is in one single, contiguous holding. "As a result, I spend much less time moving from one work place to the next compared with most Val Venosta farmers," says Franz Brunner. He has managed the estate since 1968 and since 2002 he has been organic certified for his production of Gala, Golden and Red Delicious, Braeburn and Fuji apples. He also has vegetables, various different varieties of fruit and berries, herb meadows and a nature pond which all make a colourful contribution to the biodiversity of the flora and fauna. Franz was one of the first to be won over at a fundamental level by organic farming. He learnt about the techniques in the 1970s, when he did a distance learning course, and as a result he converted to organic for the food he was growing for his own domestic consumption. He gained his first practical experience in his own garden. Caring for his environment and keeping it healthy still motivates Franz Brunner's every decision. "We farmers are the first link in a long chain. If we start it off right, it will go on that way."