Flori, you manage your wife Ruth Patscheider’s apple orchards around Schleis and Mals in Upper Vinschgau. Why did you switch to organic?
It was a natural choice for me. I’ve always been a minimalist when it comes to using crop protection products, and I’ve focused on healthy soil. That’s why I felt ready to take the final step and go fully organic. It also allows me to place my beehives in the orchards during blossom time. I produce organic honey, and the bees’ location is crucial.

What have you learned from organic farming?
To open my eyes a bit more and consider the big picture. As a farmer, you need to understand that nature calls the shots. Otherwise, you’ll run into trouble – and every farmer knows that. One year, the wind knocked over all the fully laden apple trees right before harvest. Another time, frost destroyed the blossoms. When you farm in nature, you're dependent on the elements: frost, rain, hail, wind, or beetle outbreaks – we humans can’t control those things.

Is organic farming more work?
It’s definitely more demanding, but my joy in the work has grown since going organic. Especially when it rains, I have to check the trees more often, because the time to act is shorter. I now use an app from the South Tyrolean advisory service that alerts me to frost, pests, and diseases, and offers guidance. We’ve also switched to several red apple varieties, which are easier to manage organically.