My orchards are scattered in different locations with different soils and microclimatic conditions. My Pinova apples, for example, grow at the entrance to the rustic Martell Valley and regularly draw fresh water from the crystal clear Puni river. Other varieties such as my favourite fruit Kanzi, the exquisite Bonita, Gala and Red Delicious grow on both sides of the Adige river and they too want maximum care and attention. That is why I am a full-time farmer, who has been looking for a long time for a diligent assistant before he dared to change to organic farming. I first found him in Martin, my cousin's son, and today the industrious Peter helps me. Peter pragmatically puts his knowledge from the agricultural school and the experiences on the farm into practice.

My cousin has been an organic farmer for over twenty years and was one of the pioneers of this type of cultivation in the Val Venosta Valley. For me, too, this type of farming represents one hundred percent the right way, which I have followed with great consistency and without hesitation. At the same time, the decision led to a rethinking that has also changed my personal consumer behavior. Not only for fruit and vegetables, but also for meat and other products. I am very pleased that there are very strict controls which protect the consumer but at the same time protect all honest farmers. Of course, as a farmer you are subject to a lot of bureaucratic obligations: We keep accurate registers, carefully register every action taken on the same day. All this takes a lot of time, but it also ensures transparency and promotes consumer confidence.

The main argument for choosing organic farming should not be the better price and consequently more sales, which is not the case anyway due to the lower yield of organic, but the realization that certain working methods are simply more natural and sustainable than I have been used to. For example, the stone pillars around the apple orchard as a refuge for lizards, snails, ants and beetles: they give these beneficial insects a happy home, which the aphids as pests in the plantations are not so happy about. I maintain the soil's inner life through a variety of measures that I did not know before. Only those who believe in it themselves with great conviction and dedication can run organic successfully, otherwise I advise every farmer against it. Because without following this path consistently and gladly, it cannot work. Only those who love organic can practice it successfully. When I look at the inner and outer quality of my organic apples in this way, I recognize my conviction and admiration for this method of cultivation. My love for this way of farming is reflected in it. It is a great joy. This joy is very contagious, as my wife can testify, especially when she bites into the juicy Kanzi apple.