At the Brunnhof in Lacinigo, organic is now part of our daily thinking. As soon as I took over the farm from my father, I wanted to switch to organic. My father always supported this step, but finally left the implementation to me alone with a loving "Go for it!”. My wife is also behind this decision and my daughter loves the close contact with nature as much as we do.

I devote my greatest attention to soil life. Very often I reach for a spade and check what is underneath. For us farmers, the soil is our greatest asset, it is almost like a body and an independent living being, which has to give the trees the energy they need. Neglecting the soil also means neglecting the trees. If the soil is healthy, the tree is also much more robust, and I notice this particularly well with organic produce. In this way of cultivation, the fertilizer is never a means to an end, no concentrate for the trees, but serves the active life of the soil.

The irrigation of my Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, Pinova, Royal Gala and soon also the scab resistant Natyra is mostly done by drip irrigation. Each meadow has to be approached differently: different soil, different irrigation. Even within the same meadow I notice differences in the soil and thus differences in the growth of the trees. Observing, observing, and observing again, primary necessity with soil.

I firmly believe that an organic tree is more resistant to stress and I can give it this resistance with a living soil. All organic fertilizers and the many seeds of nitrogen binding plants or grasses and flowers loosening up the soil are aimed at this.

I love organic because you never finish learning and you have to keep on learning.