Holderhof is one of the largest and most experienced farms in Switzerland for growing organic herbs. The most important varieties in the fields in Ufhofen include peppermint, nettle, Moroccan mint and apple mint. They are dried on site at optimum freshness in the company’s own energy-efficient facility. Holderhof uses a large part of the harvest in its own production facility in Henau to make iced tea. The remainder is sold to other companies in the food industry. The current year was challenging due to the weather. The cultivation trials with new varieties also suffered as a result. The fields are now going into hibernation.
Weed control is crucial
Farm manager Remo Knöpfel looks back on a wet year. «The completely rainy spring made weed control and the first cut of the herbs extremely difficult,» he explains. His four employees had to do a lot of weeding by hand with a hoe because the ground was too wet for the hoeing machine. Too many weeds hinder the growth of the crops. In organic herb cultivation, controlling weeds is therefore one of the most important tasks. Only in August did the crops benefit from a slightly longer dry and sunny period. «This compensated somewhat for the rather poor spring in terms of quality and yield,» says Remo Knöpfel. He expects a slightly lower herb harvest than last year, but this is absolutely in line with poor yields in many other areas of Swiss agriculture. The vagaries of nature are always part of the game, especially in organic farming.
Expansion of the herb range
Holderhof cultivated around 15 hectares of organic herbs this year. Remo Knöpfel is always on the lookout for new varieties to expand the range. In addition to tapping into new markets, the aim here is also to create the broadest possible crop rotation. Growing many different types of herbs next to and behind each other minimises the risk of disease and pest infestation later on. This spring, Remo Knöpfel planted lemon thyme, golden balm, camomile, organ mint, lady’s mantle, yarrow, mallow and marigolds on a trial basis for the first time. The latter attracted a lot of attention from passers-by. Remo Knöpfel is always flying blind when it comes to such cultivation trials because there is hardly any literature on the large-scale cultivation of more specialised herbs. But that is part and parcel of a farm specialising in organic herbs.
Camomile already works
The wet conditions in spring delayed the planting of the seedlings, which had a negative impact on their growth and yields. Nevertheless, they were able to prune most of the «newcomers» at least once. «Only the lemon thyme couldn’t be pruned at all,» he says. And how do the fresh leaves, stems or flowers behave in the drying plant? Remo Knöpfel’s team also gained valuable initial insights into this. The camomile has already impressed. Taste tests are already underway with customers. It will probably soon be a permanent fixture in the herb crop rotation. However, as «one swallow does not make a summer» in such cultivation trials, they will be continued next year.
As clean as possible into the winter
The herbs have now been harvested in autumn. But Remo Knöpfel knows that after the harvest is before the harvest: «That’s why we weed as much as possible in autumn.» The crops should be able to start the season in spring with the best possible external conditions. But now it’s time for the herb fields to go into hibernation, where the herbs can recharge their batteries. And of course Remo Knöpfel is hoping for better weather than this year.
The organic herb field with the marigolds was a special feast for the eyes last year.
The wet spring delayed the planting of the seedlings.
The newly designed dosing device sorted out the large stones from the fresh organic herbs delivered.
The organic herbs are gently dried in our own facility.
Apple mint on the organic herb field at Holderhof in Ufhofen.
Dried organic herbs are ready for further processing or for sale.
Because it was too wet, the Holderhof employees often had to weed by hand.