As a trained specialist in tourism, I worked for many years in various areas of gastronomy. In the summer months I earned money at my parents' "Schmiedhof" to work there and enjoy the diversity of agriculture in the Val Venosta village of Cengles, at the foot of the Stelvio National Park.

Directly at the foothills of the Cengles Murkegel, half on a steep slope, half on the plain, I have now become a year-round organic farmer and grow various apple varieties there, including Pinova, Sweetango, Royal Gala and Golden Delicious. In addition, I am also interested in growing the Val Venosta apricot, which loves the dry climate at our altitudes and has a unique taste as fresh fruit, but also as a refined product.

I learn a lot from my father, who has been a farmer for over 60 years and actively supports me. I live next door to my sister Evi and her husband Markus, our children and our parents. As an extended family, we have made a joint commitment to organic farming. When we sisters took over our inheritance, it seemed like the best decision to be more mindful of nature's cycles.

Nature is full of fascinating experiences that captivate me as much as my little son Nelio. Therefore, it is very important to me to promote biodiversity on the farmland and to create different habitats. Reading stone piles offer hedgehogs as well as various reptiles, a cosy shelter and starting point for their hunt for insects. The hedge strips also provide space for various species. In hollow bamboo sticks in the apricot grove we collect the useful earwigs and then relocate them to our apple orchards so that they can fulfill their great appetite for aphids and codling moth eggs. Watching the hustle and bustle of insects in our apple orchards is a great joy for us.

Through organic farming, we all learn together to know and work with new cycles in nature every year.