Due to climate change

More and more winter vegetables are being grown locally

Stefan Hamedinger, Vegetable Cultivation Officer of the Upper Austrian Chamber of Agriculture

(Bild: LK OÖ, Krone KREATIV)

Sometimes climate change is also a good thing: fewer days of severe frost in the fall give local vegetable farmers the chance to offer late-ripening vegetables such as lamb's lettuce, celery and lettuce hearts fresh from the field. Ginger is also "Made in Upper Austria", albeit from the greenhouse. At 29 percent, our province has the highest proportion of organically produced vegetables.

"High energy prices, increasing environmental awareness and the growing desire for healthy, organic food offer an opportunity to rethink and focus more on seasonal, local produce. Due to climate change and the associated reduced risk of frost, local vegetables are available for longer than they were just a few years ago," says Franz Waldenberger, President of the Upper Austrian Chamber of Agriculture.

"Innovative vegetable farmers see this as an opportunity to counteract the growing flood of imports from southern countries and secure a permanent place on supermarket shelves at an early stage

Franz Waldenberger, Präsident der Landwirtschaftskammer OÖ.

Measurable increase
Since the turn of the millennium, there has been a significant and measurable increase in usable growing days due to global warming. The autumn months in particular are characterized by warmer temperatures and fewer frost days. This is also the case this year. As the majority of domestic autumn and winter vegetables can withstand light frost temperatures of up to minus eight degrees Celsius, some vegetable growers are already successfully testing late-ripening vegetable varieties that can remain in the field until December and be sold fresh from the field for the food trade. These include leeks, sprouted cabbage, cauliflower, kalettes, lettuce hearts, lamb's lettuce, celery and black salsify.

Rocket is a popular winter salad

(Bild: LK OÖ)

Sometimes more, sometimes less acreage
The area under vegetable cultivation in Upper Austria increased from 1750 hectares in 2017 to 2164 hectares in 2022, with sweetcorn, cabbage, pumpkin, beet, beans and radishes making a particular contribution. However, the area under cultivation has been declining since 2023. Upper Austria currently has a total vegetable cultivation area of 1948 hectares.

The variety of vegetables grown locally is also great in the cold season

(Bild: LK OÖ)

"The painful decline since the record year of 2022 is clearly due to the stricter framework conditions, increasing production risks and the significant increase in import volumes," explains President Waldenberger. "The high proportion of imports in the food retail sector is leading to massive market losses for domestic producers. This is why vegetable growers need political measures that must be included in the government program. These include a competitive wage cost structure, origin labeling for processed vegetables, increasing the proportion of organic and regional food in community kitchens, equal opportunities in access to operating and plant protection products compared to other EU countries and limiting land consumption in order to secure cultivation areas in the long term."

Also interesting:
At 29 percent, Upper Austria has the highest percentage of organically produced vegetables in a federal state comparison, and the trend is rising. This is due to some very successful pioneers who have been gaining experience with the principles and basic values of successful organic farming since the late 1980s. A shining example of this today is the Achleitner organic farm in Pupping, which gives us an insight into its organic farm management and versatile marketing, including the sale of subscription boxes. Other examples include the Stadler farm in Hofkirchen with its "Morgentau-BioGemüse" food retail brand and the Pflügelmeier organic farm in Fraham with its "Pepi's Originale" brand.