Biotop Oberland in Lenggries: Sustainability from the gardener to the organic cucumber

Created: 12/03/2022, 10:00 am

By: Felicitas Bogner

Growing organic vegetables in Lenggries since 2018 (from left): Nick Fischer, Sebastian Girmann and Andreas Süss.

© arndt pröhl

"Biotop Oberland" relies on resource-saving handling: in the transport route, production and the employees.

For this, the cooperative has now been awarded the environmental prize of the district.

Lenggries - fresh vegetables and groceries - from the region, for the region.

The "Biotop Oberland" is one of the winners of the 2022 environmental award. "We have set ourselves the goal of supplying the Isarwinkel with regional food in an ecologically sustainable and organized manner," says Nick Fischer.

Acting sustainably refers to everything in the concept of the cooperative.

There has also been a self-service shop in Lenggries since July

The "Biotop Oberland" now consists of the solidarity-based agricultural economy founded in 2018 and, since July 2022, the self-service shop "Hofpunkt" on Obergrieser Straße.

The development of the cooperative was gradual.

It all started in 2014, when Sebastian Girmann from today's board team founded a small solidarity farm in Bad Heilbrunn-Letten.

The qualified horticultural engineer already had experience in organic farming.

"I worked in organic nurseries, but I was always very bothered by the strict regulations of the market economy." Because: A perfect cucumber that was only slightly crooked could no longer be sold on the normal market and was thrown away.

"That's why I wanted to free myself from these market constraints at some point," reports Girmann.

The concept was well received: the founders expanded

Not only the idea of ​​solidarity agriculture grew, but also the organization.

"There were five of us in our founding team of 'Biotop Oberland'," reports Fischer, who came to sustainable vegetable cultivation as a career changer.

"Our role model was always the potato combine - a solidarity community in Munich, which now supplies more than 1,500 households throughout Germany with vegetables."

By the way: Everything from the region is now also available in our regular Bad Tölz newsletter.

The concept was also well received in the Isarwinkel.

The founders were able to expand - and now grow organic vegetables in Lenggries on 1.6 hectares of open land and in six unheated greenhouses.

"We already have 50 cultures and over 100 different varieties," explains Girmann while walking through a greenhouse.

"For example, various winter lettuce is growing here at the moment."

The harvest is divided among the 450 members of the solidarity community

In addition to the greenhouses, the team deliberately created so-called flowering meadows.

"By the mixed design of the garden areas, we can also promote biodiversity and thus create food bases and retreats for beneficial insects," explains Fischer, pointing to a bit overgrown strip on which a wide variety of plants are growing all over the place.

In between, a few sunflowers stick out.

Here and there you can see high wooden poles.

“These are perches for birds of prey.

We also have nesting aids for wild birds on the site," reports Fischer.

A few meters further there is a newly created meadow orchard.

The harvest is divided among the 450 members of the solidarity community.

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There are over 400 different products in the “Hofpunkt”.

In the "Hofpunkt" there are over 400 different products that anyone can buy.

"We wanted to offer more than just vegetables, so we brought various local producers on board," says Fischer.

All groceries from tea and pasta to eggs and meat are now available on 30 square meters.

Most is organic, but not all.

What the products have in common: They all come from regional producers.

Transparency is the be-all and end-all, says works manager Andreas Süss.

"For all products there is information about what farm comes from and how far away the production site is from Lenggries." The motto is: "As close as possible, as far as necessary," emphasizes Süss.

“You also have to be careful with human resources”

The credo of sustainability applies not only to the food, but also to the employees.

Even if Girmann and Fischer are officially managing directors, they emphasize: "We have no hierarchy when it comes to decisions".

To keep everything going and thriving, they need five and a half full-time jobs.

“But with us you only work 32 hours a week in a full-time job.

Because: "You also have to be careful with human resources," says Fischer.

And the managing directors also see the environmental award in solidarity: “The award is for the entire team.”

You can find more current news from the region around Bad Tölz at Merkur.de/Bad Tölz.