There are hardly any nine-to-five jobs on an organic farm, especially not for farm manager Remo Knöpfel at the Holderhof organic farm in Ufhofen. Every day is different here and depends on many different factors. Is it going to rain today? What about the weed pressure on the herb field? Are there any plant diseases or pests lurking? Is there enough staff? Are the elderflowers ready to be picked? Is frost in the forecast? Are there any newly planted plants that need watering? The latter was definitely not the case this spring. This spring was a washout, as the statistics show. In May, Niederwil in the canton of St. Gallen received almost twice as much rain as in an average year. What does that mean for Remo Knöpfel’s team?
Wet and warm
If the soil is wet, it is not possible to work with machines, because otherwise harmful compaction would come about. That is why the employees of the Holderhof are more often on foot with their hoes in the fields in such conditions, in order to keep the troublesome weeds such as peppermint, sage or nettles in check. The vegetation benefited from significantly higher temperatures in the first few months of the year. Not only the annoying weeds, but apparently also the herbs benefited from this. In one of the rare dry phases, Remo Knöpfel was therefore able to carry out the first mechanical herb cut as early as rarely before. This also shows that the whims of nature often work out for both sides.
Reality beats the digital
Exactly one year ago, the freshly planted peppermint plants needed watering. This year, Remo Knöpfel is happy if he can even get the young golden melissa plants into the ground, because it is constantly too wet. This shows that precise, long-term planning is almost impossible on the organic farm of the Holderhof. Remo Knöpfel’s eyes are constantly glued to the weather app, so as not to miss a long dry spell. But he has to adapt to the reality on the ground. For example, he may have to reach into the soil to assess whether it is possible to drive over it. Or: is there enough staff available to plant a few thousand young herb plants in the morning, because rain is forecast for the afternoon?
Everything in balance
The rain is also good for the elderflower blossoms, because it washes away the aromatic pollen that gives the syrup from the Holderhof, for example, its special flavour. In terms of quantity, the harvesters were able to collect as many blossoms as in previous years. However, the quality of the blossoms suffered from the weather. The cider apples, on the other hand, came through the rain relatively well, with the pollinating honey and wild bees apparently doing a good job despite everything. In addition, St. Peter had mercy at least here and spared the plant from a frost that could have damaged the flowers. Of course, the apples also have to struggle with the reduced hours of sunshine – they were 20 per cent below the long-term average. But they still have enough weeks of hopefully warmer temperatures and less humidity before they ripen.
As challenging as this spring may be for farmers in terms of the weather, in the long term it always evens out. That is part of the game on a biologically managed farm, which always tries to align itself with nature and does without chemical aids.
The rain washes away the pollen, which has a negative effect on the quality of the elderflower.
Is it too wet for the weeding weeding machine, the Holderhof employees have to weed by hand.
Herbs such as peppermint benefited from the above-average temperatures in the first few months of the year.
The cider apples made it through the wet spring well.