The Gartenhof farm is located in Tarres, on a conspicuous alluvial fan of the Nörderberg. Together with my wife Elisabeth, I took over the farm from my family. My grandfather and my mother, Karin, introduced me to agriculture and instilled in me a sense of nature, which we incorporate into all our decisions. My grandfather was a pioneer in farming according to AGRIOS guidelines for integrated fruit cultivation. Later, my mother, who still actively supports me, transitioned to organic farming, and we now manage the farm following Bioland’s organic standards.

In our apple orchards, we grow a variety of organic apples, including Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, Gala, Pinova, Braeburn, Bonita, and Ambrosia. As an organic farmer, I work with nature: mechanical weed control, creating ecological niches such as rock piles and stone walls for beneficial organisms, organic fertilization methods, and focusing on quality over quantity—all of this defines organic farming for me. By using preventative measures and careful planning, I minimize the need for plant protection. The many cover crops I plant to improve soil quality also indirectly promote the presence of beneficial organisms in the orchards.

In addition to our organic apples, we offer farm-made products such as apricot jam and apple juice. Recently, we also began hosting "farm holidays" at the Gartenhof. Guests in our holiday apartments—which I named after apple varieties—can experience firsthand where the delicious products on their plates come from. During farm tours, I gladly explain and demonstrate more about our organic farming practices.

As the father of two children, Mia and Lenny, it’s important to me to leave them a natural environment and to provide them with healthy food—made even better when it comes directly from our farm!