Cold and drought: North German farmers defy climate change!
Cold and drought: North German farmers defy climate change!
In the far north of Germany, several fruit and vegetable farmers face the challenges of changed climate conditions. Inga Kreutzfeldt, a farmer from Dithmarschen, has been growing watermelons since 2020. These fruits require little water and are particularly resistant to drought. Nevertheless, Inga is confronted with difficulties in marketing, since retailers often prefer Spanish melons due to higher profit margins. In order to counteract this, she has reduced her acreage and tried to use more sales opportunities via farm shops and weekly markets. In addition, Inga has to struggle with problems such as lack of pollination from insects and losses through mouse frames. The harvest time of the watermelons falls on the North Sea coast after the main vacation time.
In addition to Inga Kreutzfeldt, Judith Wannagat and Lars Dieckmann from the Steinwehr Gut Steinwehr are also in focus. They offer aronia berries that are considered a niche product. These berries are hardly edible raw and are therefore used for jellies. To attract more visitors, they rely on marketing measures such as picking up midsummer and trial tastings. To improve the cultivation, they have purchased film tunnels.adjustments to climate change
Hauke and Gaby Klindt from Moorhörn Hof in Passade have already harvested the first apricots of the season. It is important to them to find fruit varieties that do a little water because the dry phases have increased in recent years. For 2023, the first apricot trees were planted under film tunnels. In addition, they have invested in freezer dryers and plan to convert a pigsty into a larger farm shop. However, they are unsure about the harvesting amount and the suitability of the apricot varieties for freezer drying or ice production. Among the three court operators there is agreement on the need to carry out protected cultivation in order to reduce the effects of extreme weather events.
watermelons that are grown on the farms in the north have some special features. These fruits originally come from West Africa and can also be cultivated in moderate climate zones, as on the website of Plantura described. The cultivation requires warm, sunny and wind -protected space, ideally also in greenhouses. Young plants should be placed outdoors from the end of May to early June, while in the greenhouse it can be planted in April.
The cultivation of watermelons requires special care, especially during fruit formation. A high water requirement and regular fertilizers with organic organic fertilizers are essential for growth. The harvest time extends from the end of August to autumn, with ripe melons being identified by certain characteristics.
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| Ort | Dithmarschen, Deutschland |
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