In Ginsheim in southern Hesse, this year's vegetable harvest began a few weeks ago, as Kai Reinheimer (right) from the vegetable farm of the same name tells us. In addition to asparagus, outdoor herbs, and a wide variety of salads, the Ginsheim producer also offers niche products such as May turnips. This year, however, the seasonal vegetables were planted instead of sown for the first time, which is why the turnips have grown more elongated instead of their usual round shape. "The food retail trade would probably not accept this at all, as it does not meet the norm. However, as we sell our vegetables at the weekly market, in our farm shop, and to resellers, we are less bound by these specifications," he says.
From a cultivation perspective, it is generally not recommended to plant a saw vegetable such as turnips. Reinheimer: "But if you want to grow a crop on a small scale, it's not really worth the effort of sowing. That's why I can see myself always planning to grow a small number of turnips as young plants in the future."
A freshly harvested May turnip
Specialty crop cultivation in the open field
The Reinheimer vegetable farm is located in the heart of a sun-drenched growing region and is dedicated to the cultivation of a wide variety of outdoor crops. "In total, over 150 crops grow and thrive on our farm, including unusual fruit and vegetable products such as artichokes, papaya, and figs, which we are growing on a trial basis," says Reinheimer, who is one of the few specialists in the field of outdoor tomatoes. "Due to the wet weather and late frosts, we finished harvesting our tomatoes relatively early last year. We harvested and marketed the last loads at the end of September, whereas in some years we have been able to deliver well into November. Overall, last year's tomato yield was just under a third below the multi-year average," he says.
Kai Reinheimer inspects his outdoor tomatoes: The variety of tomato products is tending to increase. In addition to the common varieties, the Reinheimer farm also produces oxheart, date, cherry, colored, and San Marzano tomatoes in a wide range of varieties.
Alternative to greenhouse tomatoes
Nevertheless, the marketing situation has been satisfactory throughout, he continues. "There was also less greenhouse produce from German cultivation, which meant that the available quantities could be marketed without any problems, and there were no surpluses. Due to high energy prices and virus pressure, it is also foreseeable that there will be less German greenhouse produce in general in the future. The first small growers are already ceasing production, which will have a noticeable impact overall. I therefore do not categorically rule out that tomato growers will seek alternatives to energy- and cost-intensive greenhouse cultivation in the future. By this, I don't mean purely outdoor cultivation, as we practice it, but rather hybrid systems such as tunnel systems, tomato cultivation in combination with agri-PV and the like," he concludes.
The vegetable farm has been cooperating with the online supermarket Knuspr for several years.
For more information:
Kai Reinheimer
Obst- und Gemüsehandel Reinheimer
Unter der Ruth 54
65462 Ginsheim
Phone: 06144938500
Fax: 06144938509
E-mail: [email protected]
www.gemuesehof-reinheimer.de