Birds help to keep pests at bay
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True friends share everything.
Puintner Franz
BIO Organic Producer – Puintnerhof
“Business before pleasure: strictly organic.”
Apple break
Mowing by hand has a long tradition
Cleaning the scythe with grass
You can see pests better with a magnifying glass
My story
Franz Puintner lives with his family in the central Val Venosta in the village of Lasa. This is where rare, pure white, marble is quarried to be shipped to selected prestige architectural projects around the world. The Puintner farm has been in the family for over 100 years and Franz inherited it around 16 years ago from his parents. This is a small business and his wife and children help out. At the moment he grows Golden Delicious and Topaz, and is planning to add further red varieties gradually over time. Franz teaches mathematics and metalwork at the vocational high school in Silandro. He loves his tractor and all the jobs which he can get done with it. For him, the best time of year is harvest. Franz converted his orchards to organics in 1993. Health was the most persuasive argument for him. "Our apple orchards are right next to the farmhouse," says Franz, "and I want my nearest and dearest to grow up healthily. By that I mean my family and all the natural products which I farm."
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
Jonagold
The versatile gold piece
To be consumed fresh, baked, cooked, stewed and toasted, the apple of New York really is worth gold.
Appearance:
greenish yellow with crimson basic colour, striped and covered in faded red
Features:
juicy with loose, crispy and slightly grainy pulp
Taste:
bittersweet with a balanced ratio of sugar and acid
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
Pinova
The Val Venosta resistant
The Pinova with its red vermilion-red skin is a typical apple of Val Venosta. Not only is it colourful, it also has a very balanced flavour. Thanks to its long durability, it offers you unlimited fruit enjoyment until the summer season.
Appearance:
Bicolour, yellow to greenish, at least 30% of the fruit is covered with a bright vermilion colour
Features:
refreshing with very crisp, juicy and firm pulp
Taste:
Balanced proportion of sugar and acid
Topaz
The beautiful acid
Topaz makes biting the sour apple worthy! The aromatic fruit impresses with a pleasant acidity and is also a common variety in organic farming.
Availability
January - May
Appearance:
basic yellow tone with red striped components, round shape with flattened calyx
Features:
crunchy pulp with pleasant cream colouring
Taste:
acidified with sharp acidity
