The "Ascherhof" farm of my family is located at 550 meters above sea level, between the villages of Plaus and Algund. My great-grandfather acquired the farm. His family lived from livestock farming and growing cereals. Over the years, fruit cultivation was added, until it became the sole source of income. My parents switched to organic farming many years ago, and I continue this method of management on my land. The apple orchards with Red Delicious, Royal Gala, and Golden Delicious are all in close proximity to the farm. The very young trees of the Cosmic Crisp® variety will produce their first real harvest in a few years.

My father and I take care of the winter pruning and the apple picking in early summer. My wife helps during the harvest, and our little daughter already curiously observes the bustling activity in the orchards. She particularly enjoys watching the diversity in the biotope next to our fields. Frogs frolic there, various reeds provide a home for insects and their larvae, and dragonflies fascinate as aerial acrobats, while eating many pests. The water in the pond is very clean and is fed by a small Waal, an ancient Vinschgau water canal. This brings water directly from a spring located high in the mountains, where it is formed from spring water and meltwater. I am planning to convert all of our irrigation to drip irrigation using this crystal-clear and healthy water. This way, we can use the valuable water more efficiently and target specific areas to irrigate the apple trees. Due to over 300 sunny days a year and very little rainfall in the Vinschgau, we farmers must manage the life-giving water very carefully. In this regard, innovatively designed orchards are the most sensible measure.

As a trained chimney sweep, I still had much to learn in agriculture. Especially in organic farming, solid knowledge is required. I attended many courses and participated in numerous field walks with experts. The farming method based on organic principles feels very comfortable to me; somehow, everything feels more harmonious, and the atmosphere in the orchards is just right. For our own supply of jam, we have some apricot trees. We also produce cloudy apple juice from the apples. In the tradition of my great-grandfather, we still have some animals on the farm: two donkeys, four sheeps, and two goats. Together with the chickens and geese, this preserves the rural idyll of the past. The fresh wind also provides refreshing cooling in the hot summer months, and at the organic farm "Ascherhof," I am very happy to have stepped into my parents' footsteps.