Real family businesses are becoming more and more rare in today's vegetable trade. As for a business combining classic vegetable production, direct marketing on the wholesale market and retail; these can hardly be found at all. Following 
the founding of a specialist retailer in the Nuremberg city center in 2017, the Kretschmann family covers almost all stages of the supply chain, says daughter Birgit Kretschmann. And not without success.
At the moment, the fresh produce trade is in a transitional phase: local spring vegetables are gradually coming onto the market, while exotic fruits from southern Europe and overseas are complementing the ranges. "At the moment I am offering fashion watermelons from Spain to retailers, as well as Charentais melons from France. Of course, consumption is heavily dependent on the weather. When the sun is shining, the melons will sell quickly. Of course, the fruits are still relatively high priced at the moment, but as soon as the temperature rises, the average price goes down weekly," says Ms. Kretschmann.
Two specialties from the current product range: on the left fashion melons from Spain, on the right the Franconian Pimentos de Padron, which are completely organic and untreated.
Active at three stages of the supply chain
However, the trademark of the retail trade, which was founded two years ago, is the regional product range. These products are sourced from the parental vegetable farm when possible. "Whatever garlic is available will be marketed either at my parents' stand at the local wholesale market, or here in the store. My brother is also involved in the operation. He is mainly concerned with cultivation," says Kretschmann.
The range of their own products primarily includes herbs, lettuces, but also potatoes, vegetables and root vegetables. After Christmas, the Nuremberg marketers traditionally go into the winter break. Of course, in the wake of the early season kick-off in the garlic country, last week, the wholesale market business has certainly started again for Kretschmann's parents again.
Impressions from the parental vegetable farm in the garlic country
Franconian Pimentos de Padron
The garlic country is not only one of the most important growing areas in Germany in terms of quantity. At the same time, the vegetable producers there are also highly innovative in terms of variety of sorts. The products from the regional greenhouse facilities are largely offered through the regional wholesale and retail trade, but sales are also being done by the Kretschmann family.
"New this year are the multi-colored salads, the round eggplants and the fried peppers or Franconian Pimentos de Padron, which we buy from Scherzer vegetables. We used to buy these peppers from Italy or Spain: Regional production and the shortening of long supply routes does much for the freshness of the products, of course. Certainly we have make this regional product known to the consumer, but the interest is growing rapidly among vegetarians," concludes Kretschmann.
For more information:
Kretschmann Obst und Gemüse
Birgit Kretschmann
Katzwanger Hauptstraße 30
90453 Nürnberg
Telephone: (0911) 64 11 49 39
Mobile: (0172) 820 37 31
gemuesebaukretschmann@t-online.de
www.meier-magazin.de/kretschmann