I took over the farm when I was twenty, because my father unfortunately died early. It was like jumping into cold water. At that time, a farmer friend supported me a lot. For many years I managed the widely scattered orchards between Morter and the Martell Valley as a sideline, at the same time I was still working as a hydraulics technician.

Since I switched to organic farming, I am a full-time farmer. My wife also strongly supported this step, because our orchards offer the best conditions for organic farming: They are "airy" orchards, mostly on slopes, which the wind dries very quickly when they are damp and thus do not provide a good habitat for scab fungi. Moreover, they are all close to the forest, i.e. in marginal areas far away from other farmers' orchards and their efforts in plant protection. The water for irrigation comes from the crystal-clear Plima river in the beautiful Martell Valley. With such conditions, I let nature work for us. Very often I ask myself if I have to do anything at all in the area of plant protection. I concentrate on certain things that have to be observed: Do I have enough light in the tree? Is it growing well or is it stressed? Just as a person is more susceptible to disease when stressed, so is an apple tree. Stress can be caused by too much water, excessive growth, and many other factors. You just have to observe this carefully and counteract it in a targeted way. With Gala I am on the safe side in the organic sector, they are very uncomplicated and almost a no-brainer. With Golden Delicious, Red Delicious and Bonita, I have to be a bit more behind the curve. Soon I will also plant Cosmic Crisp and am already looking forward to the first harvest.

Working in the organic sector gives me great pleasure and the wonderful view to the west and east with the Val Venosta Mountain backdrop as a protective wall against rain clouds is also priceless. A very special moment in spring are the tramlines between the rows of apples full of "forget-me-nots", which bloom for a long time until they are slowly overgrown by the nettles. I also feel great joy when my boys talk about their father and emphasize that he is an organic farmer. They also know that this is a meaningful activity for a healthy and species-rich environment.