I farm the Bachguthof in Tarres above Laces together with my wife and children.
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Pichler Wolfgang
Organic farmer - Bachguthof
"The blossoms of my organic apples are the best source of nectar for my bees."
The blossoms of my organic apples are the best source of nectar for my bees.
The bee colonies are taken to where they can get the best nectar.
The bees ensure optimal pollination of the blossoms.
Beekeeping and organic apple growing are my passions.
My story
The backbone of my family at Bachguthof in Tarres above Laces is agriculture. Basically, it rests on two pillars, both of which have their foundation in the close cooperation with nature. On the one hand, there is the large apiary with over 300 bee colonies, and on the other, organic apple cultivation with varieties such as Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, Kanzi, Bonita, Natyra and soon Gala.
The quality of my organic honey is extremely popular. I sell it directly and in some selected delicatessens such as the Val Venosta farm shop in Naturno. I regularly take the bee colonies to where they can get the best nectar. The orchards of my organic apples are the place where their foraging in spring combines my two gainful activities in a meaningful cycle: they collect good nectar for good honey and at the same time the blossoms of my trees are optimally pollinated so that plump fruits ripen there in autumn. Both activities give my family great joy: my wife Romana was the farmer of the year in 2018, which says a lot about her love of agriculture, my son Mathias is the apple specialist, while Jonas finds happiness in beekeeping. His sister Lisa likes to help him out with the honey extraction.
New projects are the elixir of life for us and when they come to fruition, the motivation for further ideas is all the greater. For example, we were very happy about the Natyra apple variety, in whose orchards we hardly have to fertilise nor do we have to worry about plant protection. The only problem for a long time was the weak growth, which we solved by grafting on our own. The new trees show unique growth spurts.
Another family project was the honey wine, commonly called mead. While the Vikings made their mead from honey and water as a drink for the gods, at Bachguthof we don't use water but naturally cloudy organic apple juice, for example of the very juicy Kanzi variety. The alcoholic fermentation, followed by about two years of storage, makes for a very fine Val Venosta dessert drink, which is served after a meal in a similar way to port wine or the liqueur wine Marsala, or can also be used to flavor sweets or fruit salad. Our Val Venosta mead is also the right companion for long-aged cheeses and blue cheese. If only the bees knew what we do with their honey and the apples from their pollinated flowers...
The quality of my organic honey is extremely popular. I sell it directly and in some selected delicatessens such as the Val Venosta farm shop in Naturno. I regularly take the bee colonies to where they can get the best nectar. The orchards of my organic apples are the place where their foraging in spring combines my two gainful activities in a meaningful cycle: they collect good nectar for good honey and at the same time the blossoms of my trees are optimally pollinated so that plump fruits ripen there in autumn. Both activities give my family great joy: my wife Romana was the farmer of the year in 2018, which says a lot about her love of agriculture, my son Mathias is the apple specialist, while Jonas finds happiness in beekeeping. His sister Lisa likes to help him out with the honey extraction.
New projects are the elixir of life for us and when they come to fruition, the motivation for further ideas is all the greater. For example, we were very happy about the Natyra apple variety, in whose orchards we hardly have to fertilise nor do we have to worry about plant protection. The only problem for a long time was the weak growth, which we solved by grafting on our own. The new trees show unique growth spurts.
Another family project was the honey wine, commonly called mead. While the Vikings made their mead from honey and water as a drink for the gods, at Bachguthof we don't use water but naturally cloudy organic apple juice, for example of the very juicy Kanzi variety. The alcoholic fermentation, followed by about two years of storage, makes for a very fine Val Venosta dessert drink, which is served after a meal in a similar way to port wine or the liqueur wine Marsala, or can also be used to flavor sweets or fruit salad. Our Val Venosta mead is also the right companion for long-aged cheeses and blue cheese. If only the bees knew what we do with their honey and the apples from their pollinated flowers...
Where I live
My harvest
Bonita
The bittersweet lady
Beauty meets acidity: This bright and smooth crossover between Topaz & Cripps Pink makes the pests stay away, therefore, it is especially popular in organic farming.
Availability
January - May
Appearance:
opaque radiant red colour on creamy background, homogeneous shape, very smooth shell
Features:
juicy and crunchy bite
Taste:
aromatic with pronounced acidity
Royal Gala
The elegant precocity
The tasty gala appears every summer in its reddish yellow shell and the new apple season begins.
Appearance:
smooth shell, spherical shape, slightly conical, pale yellow base colour with bright red and striped cover
Features:
crispy and juicy with firm pulp
Taste:
refreshing, sweet with little acidity
Red Delicious
Red seduction
The image of the Red Delicious is difficult to resist. Seeing red can be really nice. And the red flavour is even more beautiful!
Appearance:
dark red colour, conical shape, oblong
Features:
juicy with very white pulp
Taste:
sweet, very aromatic with relatively slight acidity
Golden Delicious
The classic delicious
Golden Delicious is our main variety and, therefore, the queen of Val Venosta apples. That the most popular apple has a real quality, can be seen in its lovely red cheek. By the way, this is typical of fruits on a hillside.
Appearance:
greenish yellow to golden yellow
Features:
juicy with very fine and soft pulp
Taste:
sweet with delicate acidity
SQ 159 / Natyra®
Natural talent loaded with aroma
The rustic apple with delicate pear and citrus spices keeps the pests away and impresses by its excellent flavour.
Availability
January - April
Appearance:
red to dark red, rustic appearance
Features:
good texture and juiciness, crunchy and compact
Taste:
sweet and sour with pear and citrus aroma
Nicoter / Kanzi®
Balanced freshness
With its proper balance of sweetness and acidity, the juicy Nicoter / Kanzi® offers a harmonious taste experience and a lot of energy, almost like music for the palate.
Appearance:
red base colour with yellow secondary colour, rounded shape
Features:
compact, firm pulp, very crispy and juicy
Taste:
balanced ratio of sugar and acid
Cauliflower
The gentle lady
The white cabbage with discrete aroma represents 95% of the vegetables production in the Venosta Valley. By the way, it owes its floral name to a botanical peculiarity: cabbage is the state of the plant that has not yet blossomed.
Availability
beginning of June - end of October
Appearance:
Fleshy, flower sprouts together in a radiant white head and green leaves
Features:
rich in vitamin C and minerals, crispy
Taste:
soft with a subtle aroma
Potatoes
The energetic world citizen
These tubers have it all: Not only are they truly nutritious, but they also come in different versions: from soft to solid and compact, they grow in the Venosta Valley so that each recipe has the right potato for it.
Availability
beginning of August - end of October
Appearance:
rounded-elongated tuber with brown shell
Features:
yellow pulp
Taste:
mild and slightly soft
