Solawi Tegernseer Tal: First harvest for a young initiative
Created: 06/25/2022, 17:00
By: Christina Jachert-Maier
The zucchini plants are growing splendidly in the field at the Pointerhof.
Today, Daniela Schober and her team are distributing the first harvest boxes.
© Thomas Plettenberg
The cold Kreuth soil didn't make it easy for the Solawi Tegernseer Tal at the Pointerhof.
But now it grows well in the vegetable garden.
It's already being harvested.
Kreuth
The founders also want growth for their cooperative, which stands for solidarity agriculture.
There are already yields: The first harvest boxes will be distributed this Saturday.
In March, Daniela Schober and her colleagues prepared the ground for their idea.
180 cubic meters of natural compost worked into the ground, paths laid out with wood chips.
On the Pointerhof, a farm based on the solidarity agriculture model, or Solawi for short, has emerged.
A vegetable garden in the hands of a cooperative whose members receive a share of the harvest every week.
And even more than that: The Solawi sees itself as a community.
"It's about regionality," says Schober.
For the strength to provide yourself with the necessities of life.
"These days you never know what surprises will come from outside," says Schober
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60 Harvest Crates will be given out
This Saturday, the young initiative will be handing out the first harvest boxes from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. directly at the farm.
60 pieces are booked, more than originally expected.
"But we'll manage that well," says Schober.
In the boxes are lettuce and lettuce, lots of herbs, chard.
Zucchini, snow peas, cucumber and spring onions.
Each one still contains recipes for chard dishes and edible flowers.
The first edition will be a small festival.
Schober and her team worked hard to make this possible.
Especially since the little plants didn't really want to thrive at first.
"We had waterlogging," reports the initiator.
The problem was solved with the help of a consultant.
Nothing can be changed about Kreuth's geography: The location in the mountains means frosty ground.
Gardeners need patience - and a polytunnel.
Solawi is hoping to be able to build such a tunnel in the fall.
However, this not only requires a permit, but also a considerable investment.
Schober expects 20,000 euros.
Foil tunnel to extend season
The cooperative is hoping for a subsidy as part of the Free State's Leader funding.
In addition to the foil tunnel, there will also be a marketing hut where the products will be distributed.
The harvest boxes are available in the sizes "single", "pair" and "family".
The “pair” vegetable box costs 100 euros per month, which corresponds to a weekly purchase of 25 euros.
Above all, the small cooperative would like more supporters.
At the moment, the work is divided among the management team, consisting of a handful of people, explains Schober: "That's not enough." Anyone who wants to stand up for sustainability and regional products is called upon to join the cooperative.
Even if you don't want to book a weekly vegetable box.
"Everyone is welcome," says the initiator.
She wants to expand the topic of regionality even further.
Get other producers on board, enter into partnerships with the nearby natural cheese dairy, for example.
In order to develop that, you need a lot of people who can turn the idea into a concrete offer.
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Organic certification already available
That's why not only the first harvest boxes are distributed at the start, but there is also a newsletter for those interested.
The Solawi already exceeded its first target, a volume of 50 harvest boxes, at the start.
This also finances the gardener hired by the cooperative.
The cultivation takes place according to the "No Dig Market Garden System", which works with old cultivars and largely without the use of machines.
The organic certification has taken place.
In the spring, the eco-model region Miesbacher Oberland (ÖMR) granted funding for permaculture.
Schober knows that it will take a few years for everything to settle down.
She hopes that the start of the harvest season will give the Solawi a boost: "You can see something here now."
Supply also in winter
Currently, lettuce, herbs, zucchini, beetroot, kohlrabi, chard and some types of cabbage are growing on the young field.
The aim is to provide members with organic vegetables all year round.
With a foil tunnel, the season can be easily extended, reports Schober: "With good cultivation planning, we can get through the winter without any gaps."
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