Just outside St. Gallen, Rico Lehmann produces berries, mainly strawberries and raspberries, on a total of 18 hectares. "Originally, it was a traditional farm with cows, pigs, and field fruit cultivation. Since 2001, however, we have been a pure berry farm - this is where I saw the greatest opportunities to develop the business further," says the producer of Tobi Seeobst AG. A look at the present proves him right. The farm now has large greenhouses and tunnels in which the berry crops thrive. Over the years, he has also noticed an increasing demand for berries.
Berry producer Rico Lehmann
The raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries are currently being harvested at the same time, after which the work steadily decreases until the end of October. Dealing with the spotted wing drosophila is currently a challenge. "This pest feels particularly at home in warm, humid weather. It is therefore important to create conditions that prevent the fly from multiplying rapidly." By this, Lehmann means in particular that the picking rhythm is kept high and that no berries land on the ground - because the females lay their eggs in these berries. "To achieve this, we rely on our well-trained staff, on mass catching and, last but not least, on netting our berry crops."
For more information:
Rico Lehmann
Lehmann Fruits
Schöntal 728
9304 Bernhardzell
Tel: +41 (0)71 433 19 85
Fax: +41 (0)71 433 22 01
[email protected]
www.lehmann-fruechte.ch
www.tobi-fruechte.ch