On March 20, the first outdoor rhubarb of the season was harvested at Hof Nefzger. The family business, based in Sainbach, Bavaria, thus started the new campaign almost the same way as last year. "Quantities and qualities are good at the start of the season, thanks to optimal weather conditions with selective rain. Prices remained high until recently and were sometimes a third higher than last year's level. However, at the end of calendar week 13, the first quantities from the Palatinate and the Netherlands were offered, which in turn led to a slight price reduction," says owner Peter Nefzger. According to the producer, demand could be somewhat better but is now continuing to increase week by week.
Traditionally, the vegetables are harvested and sold until June. The peak season is usually until the end of May, Nefzger continues. Up to 80 percent of his total yield finds its way to the consumer via the trade; the remaining part is sold directly and stays in the neighborhood. "Our rhubarb is not only in demand in but also outside of Bavaria. Accordingly, we expanded our cultivation capacities again last fall and are planning to expand our acreage further this year."
© Nefzger RhabarberThanks to double-layered film, there is already plenty of field-grown rhubarb available at the end of March. The Nefzger family focuses on producing Frambozen Rood rhubarb, a high-yielding and high-quality variety.
At the same time as the rhubarb harvest kicked off at the beginning of calendar week 13, the first organic asparagus of the Gijnlim and Cygnus varieties were also harvested. The first green asparagus is expected to be available from the end of calendar week 14. Nefzger: "We are enjoying high demand and a fairly stable price level."
© Hugo Huijbers | FreshPlaza.com
After the end of the asparagus and rhubarb season at the end of June, a short break is called for. Thereafter, the pumpkin harvest begins. "In addition to the commercially available Hokkaido, we produce a wide range of pumpkins, a third of which are organic. Unlike the other two crops, about half of our pumpkin yield is marketed directly from the farm because the crop is better suited to the self-service structure than our other main products," they conclude.
For more information:
Peter Nefzger
Nefzger Rhabarber
Augsburger Str. 1
86570 Sainbach
Phone: +49 (0)171 3550297
nefzger@googlemail.com
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