A few years ago, I inherited a small meadow from my father, which I cultivate as a part-time Vinschgau farmer. Alongside Gala apple trees, I wanted to try something new and turned to pears. At first, I was hesitant, but when I discovered the Novembra pear variety, I was sure this was the right fruit for my orchard. The taste had already convinced me, but I wanted to gather more information about the tree and the fruit. Everything I learned about Novembra appealed to me: the distinctive waist of the fruit gave it an attractive appearance, the tree would grow well on my permeable and slightly sandy soils, and the yields seemed promising. Especially in the dry Vinschgau, the fruits would thrive in sun or partial shade. Said and done: soon young trees were reaching eagerly toward the Vinschgau sun, enjoying their view of the snow-covered peaks of the valley.

I entrusted plant protection in my orchard right away to an experienced farmer as farm manager, while I myself have taken care from the start of thinning, grass cutting, and harvesting.

Now I have sufficient experience with this pear variety. My family helps me with the work whenever needed. I also take my son Lukas with me as often as possible – together we watch the ripening process, and he is slowly learning to sense when the right moment for harvest has come. A particularly beautiful time for us all is spring blossom, since Novembra produces an abundance of flowers. The flesh is very firm, yet melting and juicy, with sweetness dominating the aroma. The harvest period, from late September to early November, fits perfectly with my main job schedule. While the traditional Vinschgau Palabirne and Williams pear still grow around our family house, my meadow planted with Novembra is now thriving, and we are happy to enjoy good organic harvests of the fruit I have chosen.

I am very glad that I discovered and successfully tried this variety. It is a good alternative to the more traditional pear varieties in Vinschgau, and apparently, it also feels at home here in this alpine valley with its strong temperature differences between day and night. Its vegetation period is very similar to that of the Golden Delicious apple, which is why this pear also develops strikingly large fruits here. The yellow-green pears ripen further after harvest and are ready to enjoy until December. Then they end up, together with our potatoes, carrots, apricots, and plums, in our very own organic box – bringing joy to us and to the many customers of Vinschgau fruit.