First solidary agriculture at Tegernsee needs supporters

Created: 01/03/2023, 3:00 p.m

By: Christina Jachert-Maier

It's rarely that green in Kreuth in December.

In order to improve the soil, Solawi relies on green manure.

Daniela Schober would like to increase the area under cultivation.

© jm

Daniela Schober filled the last harvest baskets in December.

At the beginning of 2022, she founded the first solidarity agriculture (Solawi) Tegernseer Tal at Kreuther Pointerhof, and it was not an easy year.

In order to have a future, the cooperative needs supporters now.

Kreuth

- A vegetable garden for everyone, that's the idea.

"It takes our time to be able to supply ourselves with good vegetables," says Daniela Schober.

Being able to feed yourself high-quality food regardless of crises and supply chains is more important than ever.

"The values ​​are shifting," says the Kreutherin.

The desire to make a difference in this area was what drove her to set up the first solidarity agriculture (Solawi) in the Tegernsee valley.

A cooperative whose members receive weekly harvest baskets.

Daniela Schober is still passionate about her idea.

"Unfortunately, we have a steep learning curve behind us," she reports.

Viewed soberly, the cooperative is at a crossroads.

If we succeed in engaging the right gardener and finding active supporters, harvest baskets will also be filled in 2023.

If not, the project is dead.

50 harvest baskets filled per week

There is no lack of demand, however.

The Solawi has filled around 50 harvest baskets a week since June, and in the autumn the number fell slightly.

Problems were caused by the difficult soil, on which the young plants did not thrive as luxuriantly as hoped.

"Because of the waterlogging," says Schober.

The concept of the cooperative included the management of the soil by a professional gardener.

Unfortunately, none of the committed specialists stayed long.

"We lost four gardeners, two of them in one week," says Schober.

The reasons varied, in two cases serious illnesses took their toll.

"That was very demanding on a human level," explains Schober.

She and a few helpers ended up plowing the field themselves to fill the harvest baskets.

The Solawi bought goods from the Miesbach Biogut Wallenburg.

According to Schober, this

Hope to take over organic farm in the neighborhood

As early as April, the Management Board was considering alternatives to the Pointerhof.

A solution emerged that seemed ideal: the plan was to take over an organic farm in the vicinity of the Tegernsee valley that had existed for more than two decades.

The negotiations became concrete and seemed successful.

The cooperative did not pursue the original plan to build a plastic greenhouse and a marketing hut at the Pointerhof.

After all, the new location with its infrastructure seemed ideal.

An experienced gardener expressed his willingness to take over the management.

"We totally relied on it," says Schober.

A mistake.

The cancellation came at the end of November.

The Solawi does not get the lease.

disappointment is great

The disappointment runs deep.

But Schober doesn't want to give up the Solawi.

In the past few weeks, she has initiated a lot to pick up where she was in March 2022.

A workshop in early December attracted 15 participants, many with new ideas.

As originally planned, Solawi could continue in Kreuth.

The property belongs to the initiator Schober, which has proven to be important.

The plans for the marketing hut and plastic greenhouse are still in the drawer.

"We also have a business plan," reports Schober.

And she hopes to be able to engage the gardener of her choice even under the changed framework conditions: "The man is the jackpot."

Looking for new board members

But now we need enthusiastic people who want to take on responsibility on the board.

The members of the current board – except for Schober himself – will resign from their offices.

"There's just not enough time," says Schober.

The work was so much recently that it was almost impossible to cope with work and family.

The Annual General Meeting scheduled for December has been postponed to a date not yet set.

The hope is that an energetic team will be found again.

But more members would also be nice - there are currently 80. Everything depends on finding committed people - and investors, because the new buildings and the enlargement of the cultivation area also mean financial efforts.

The General Assembly will show whether the Solawi will endure or whether it will only be dissolved.

Schober hopes