The 1 year journey with 100% raw foods brought me to diving into the world of raw food & discovering new people, places, tastes & vitamins. It has motivated me countless times & touched my heart. At Tristan Toe’s and Yahwehzi Graf’s BIOSAIN in Lower Austrias Waldviertel, this experience was brought to a new level: SUPER FINE QUALITY, SURRENDERING TO NATURE, TASTEY DREAM MASTERPIECES, STRONG FIBERS, EXTRAORDINARY STRONG PLANTS. – On the Wachtberg – I would say – the “crème de la crème” of my vegetable experiences grows there.
The two gardeners started their project at Wachtberg 3 years ago with almost impossible soil conditions. The wooded area had hardly any water supply and nutrients. Forests generally have poorer nutrient soils, but are in themselves perfectly balanced and in a living cycle. Over the years, the enthusiastic professional gardeners have created an oasis of vegetable cultivation through mulching, a lot of manual work, so called “worm tea” and earth fills. “If you are careful with the soil, you can turn any place into an oasis.” And that’s what you taste: spicy turnips, each with its own character, snack peppers with a sugary-sweet orange aroma, hot rocket and Asian salads, almost red carrots & tomato peppers with a fine cherry aroma – radiating with intensity. This is not only good taste, it also feels & is like this!
Tristan’s offer covers over 70 different plant species & the farm is practically – until January – continuously active. His vegetable selection is hand-selected, only what he likes comes back into the beds. QUALITY & DIVERSITY is priority here. The diversity in beds, varieties and cultures makes up a healthy system. – Plants want to have diversity. The seed-solid vegetable (opposite of the hybrid) on Wachtberg is characterised by the uniqueness of each individual product. Since the space there is relatively limited, an intelligent cultivation system was used: In the so-called floor plantation, the plants are cultivated both above and next to each other. In this way, a wide variety of plants complement each other. From spinach on the ground to “green cabbage palms” to the smoky flavoured chinese vegetable tree. Here the right ones play together!
The soil must also play its part in this high quality farm and provide sufficient nutrients for growth. Soil is practically made to bloom with so-called worm tea. Compost worms are ancient creatures that live in harmony with the soil. Practically a well-rehearsed team that is better let to do the work without interfering too much. The secret of their high-yielding soils is the minimum possible movement of the soil and working by hand. Machines are used relatively rarely. Also during the harvest, attention is paid to HOW the soil is harvested. Hand-picked peeling of leaves saves the plants from the shock of cutting and allows them to grow back faster and with a higher yield. “Pipifein” down to the last detail!
Next year BIOSAIN launches the CSA System: Community Supported Agriculture. A customer base invests around 25€/week and the harvest is divided among the investors. In this way, costs and risks are better covered and regular customers are provided with regular supplies. In this way Tristan and his team can deliver the plants that offer the best ripeness. The CSA system provides a more stable income, especially during the demanding months of sowing (February-April).
If city dwellers want to come to Biosain Gemüse, you can do so via Anna – she supplies Vienna with vegetable boxes directly from the Wachtberg. More information, sale from the farm, overview of varieties and much more: BIOSAIN
PS: Tristan as cooperation partner supplier for upcoming raw food seminars will supply participants with his vegetables from the Wachtberg. Taste, enjoyment & effect in its PURITY!
