At LGV Gärtnergemüse, they are at the start of the harvest for local winter fresh vegetables from Vienna and Burgenland. Together with horticultural school Schönbrunn -under the direction of DI Wolfgang Palme-, LGV Sonnengemüse has started a cultivation trial with fresh winter vegetables. Six growers and vegetable farmers cultivate winter vegetables on a total area of 1.5 hectares. This means that for the first time, the food trade can be supplied and that vegetable lovers can enjoy regional, fresh vegetables from Austria even in the winter months. The winter vegetables will already be available starting 16 November in approximately 130 branches of BILLA and MERKUR in Vienna, Lower Austria and Burgenland and of course at the Gärtnergschäftl in the Kettenbrückengasse 20.
The aim of the cultivation trial is a climate-friendly cultivation of regional fresh winter vegetables in Austria. More than 20 different varieties were cultivated in open fields and foil tunnels as well as in unheated greenhouses. The organic share is almost at 50%. The selection includes vegetables, salads and herbs such as sprout-broccoli, sugar loaf, kale, palm cabbage, radicchio, pak choi, young onion, radishes, carrots, picking salad, batavia, sala nova, parsley, coriander or wild herbs.
Karl Herret, Marianne Ganger and Josef Peck(Board LGV Sonnengemüse)
Resource-saving packaging
Within this project, attention was also paid to the use of paper in the packaging, which is as environmentally friendly as possible. The added value lies in the conservation of resources, in the CO2-neutral cultivation method without the use of additional energy, short transport routes and a regional added value.
"If all goes well, we expect to harvest 25 tons of vegetables this winter. As the LGV Sonnengemüse cooperative, it is important to us to develop new products and vegetable specialties together with our members and family businesses. New forms of production such as the Winter Vegetable Project underline the innovative power of our passionate growers and vegetable farmers. The past few months have shown us the importance of our producer cooperative for the supply of fresh vegetables to Austria," says Josef Peck, CEO of LGV Sonnengemüse.
Marcel Haraszti and Josef Peck with their first winter harvest produce
Winter vegetables from 16 November at BILLA and MERKUR
The winter vegetables will be available starting 16 November, from the vegetable departments of BILLA and MERKUR. Customers can expect green cabbage, radicchio, sprout broccoli, pack Choi and carrots. "Fresh vegetable from Austria, grown in the winter months but without any heating is an enormous innovation. It means we are expanding our range of vegetables at BILLA and MERKUR, whilst showing a clear commitment to more regionalism in the interests of our customers," says Marcel Haraszti, CEO of REWE International AG.
For more information: www.lgv.at