Organic farmer Ralf Huber also sees the corona crisis as an opportunity. Then society is also challenged.
Allershausen - Organic products were in demand even during the Corona crisis. The organic farmer Ralf Huber from Allershausen with his Naturland farm did not notice a major change in the workflow - except that he had much more time to work due to the exit restrictions. He also sees the crisis as an opportunity for a kind of return to old values - and for more togetherness. Ralf Huber is flirting with a farm shop for regional products.
Ecological change
Huber has been taking care of its organic grain since the 1990s: wheat, rye, spelled, maize, soy and numerous other types of grain grow on 180 hectares. The father used to run a calf fattening; after the estrogen scandal, the bulk customer Hipp from Pfaffenhofen wanted an ecological change. "He then quit us after a year, but we just stayed with it," recalls Huber in retrospect. The success had not come straight away, but it has been going pretty well in recent years.
“Laughing spinners” are mainstream today
"In the past," said the 53-year-old, "we were laughed at as crazy, now it's mainstream." People's rethinking began with eggs as a top product of changed buying habits and is now slowly penetrating into other areas. Huber finds one thing “funny”: “There is actually much longer eco-friendliness than the other.” Because: back then, like him now, you had fertilized with lime instead of all possible synthetic means.
In addition, Huber is also correcting one of the common clichés of an organic farm: "These are normal businesses, because nobody walks around with Jesus-Klapperl."
Huber dreams of a farm shop with regional products
He also pays attention to regional and ecological products when shopping, nothing else comes into his house. He is annoyed by the low appreciation of food in general: "Garbage is worth more than food." In his opinion, milk and meat should also become more expensive in order to reflect a good estimate in the price.
The Corona crisis affected Ralf Huber from Allershausen's Naturland farm primarily in one respect: that the 53-year-old had even more time to work.
© Lehmann
What Huber would like to achieve: “To do something together.” In a central farm shop, he could imagine offering regional products - baking his own bread is also on his agenda. Huber would also like to find a bakery that offers products on a larger scale that use regional ingredients. Take a step back instead of always just going forward.
Companies like the Weihenstephan brewery also have a duty
Huber has a lot of good ideas and a lot of thoughts. It would also be natural for Huber that companies like Weihenstephan use organic barley from the region to brew beer instead of cheaper imported goods. Huber is currently innovating with the attempt to grow THC-free hemp for seed production, for example for muesli bars. Although "the police come by once a year", Huber still sees a great future in hemp cultivation. It is certain that the hemp market will come, although more experience and special machines are needed for harvesting, for example threshing.
The Corona crisis made it clear to the organic farmer that the importance of mutual help and the return to good, ecological goods became clear. Because one thing the 53-year-old does not want to leave unspoken on this occasion: "If everyone who signed species protection at the referendum would buy eco - then there would only be eco."
Richard Lorenz
Read also: Not everything runs smoothly: Corona gives farmer Georg Schmid a headache. "The people bought like a fool!" Vegetable growers hope through Corona to rethink. "We will not be instrumentalized!": Police chief appeals to citizens.