There were many reasons why I converted to organic. I see the „doctrines“ of organic production as a liberal set of rules. No „When that happens, you have to“ imperatives, but rather „You could try that“. I like this responsible freedom of alternatives. My mother-in-law and me are on the same wavelength. And even more so since I became an organic producer. She is a biodynamic gardener and before my conversion to organic she regularly wanted to know what I would do when. Many of the answers I gave then must have been by the book, automated, without thinking about it.

Today, I question everything and my rich collection of reference books is a source of new, alternative approaches to nature in my orchards. I’m also much calmer than before. Today, I know that nature is not always as fast as we would like it to be. So you often need a lot of patience. I learnt from my mother-in-law that keeping a diary about what happens in the orchards is of great advantage. Mine is digital. There I note down when I saw the ichneumon fly for the first time, how the weather was, if there were any woolly apple aphids and how many or if I removed the cut branches with the woolly apple aphids from the orchard.

Today, as an organic producer, I have much more to tell. Children and tourists, for example, are very much interested in what happens in an apple orchard. And I like taking this precious time. What I like less is bureaucracy. This is why I “just” cultivate Pinot Blanc and Zweigelt grapes but no longer produce my own wine as I did in the past. Too much bureaucracy.

I’m very optimistic about the future of organic apple production but I’m also very much attracted by fig production. I would always like to be accompanied by composure, which is necessary for an organic producer. With the certainty that nature knows best if only it has the time required. You have to be patient, without forcing anything. As soon as you internalize this idea, your life gets calmer and more carefree. And you can enjoy more trust, from others and in yourself.