Sign up for our daily Newsletter and stay up to date with all the latest news!

Subscribe I am already a subscriber

You are using software which is blocking our advertisements (adblocker).

As we provide the news for free, we are relying on revenues from our banners. So please disable your adblocker and reload the page to continue using this site.
Thanks!

Click here for a guide on disabling your adblocker.

Sign up for our daily Newsletter and stay up to date with all the latest news!

Subscribe I am already a subscriber
Gemüsebau Kiening sees great demand for special crops, even in these exceptional times

"People do not want to eat the same thing every day"

At Munich-based family-owned company Kiening, the final push is now underway: The last greenhouse tomatoes and cucumbers have already been harvested and the winter season is about to begin. For the traditional vegetable growing enterprise, the 2020 marketing year has been more exciting than ever so far, due to Corona, says Caroline Kiening.

At the beginning of the crisis, the marketing situation turned completely around overnight. Gastronomy customers, who normally bought from Kiening's wholesale market stand, now demanded needed significantly less goods. "We adapted to this situation and changed our structure to small specialty stores and delivery services. Although this sales area is much more expensive because you have to call more people to sell the same quantities, all in all this changeover worked out quite well for us," says Ms. Kiening, looking back.

Boom in the farm shop
Meanwhile, sales in the direct marketing sector in the company's own farm store have 'boomed'. "During the lockdown, we saw an insane influx of customers. We are now noticing an increase again, and sales have again been extremely good over the last two weekends. Nevertheless, the increased turnover in the farm store is not enough to completely compensate for the losses in the wholesale trade."


Fresh radish and spring cabbage.

Nice demand for special crops
The Bavarian vegetable growing company has been scoring points for several years now with special crops such as herbs, unusual tomatoes and, since last year, fresh edamame. The legume is offered again this year and enjoys increasing popularity in the specialized trade. "Unfortunately, we have not been able to focus on it in particular, but we are fully committed and want to push the product further in the coming years."


Bavarian edamame for the fresh market

The edamame is usually sown in April, but the crop is quite sensitive during cultivation. "The growth of the kernels must be attended to particularly well; they must not get overripe. When the pods are harvested later, they often have yellow and brown spots. This has nothing to do with the quality of the goods, but the customer usually prefers green goods". Next year, edamame will be grown and marketed again, the production capacity will remain the same for the time being.


Unusual tomato varieties from Bavarian production: Ox heart (l) and colorful cocktail tomatoes.

Unusual tomatoes
In addition to the modern legume, this year a total of 18 different tomato varieties - such as cocktail, meat and ox-heart tomatoes - are growing on the farm. "Initially, we were worried whether this was really the right decision, but the response was tremendous. However, we could never bring in enough tomatoes. There are many people left in Germany in this Corona year and you just don't want to eat the same thing every day."


Georg Kiening sr. (here during Freshplaza's 2017 visit to the wholesale market) has finally retired from the company this year. For many years, he was the contact person at the company's wholesale market stand.

All in all, the family of gardeners is looking confidently to the future. "We are currently in a positive mood. Marketing at the wholesale market is starting up again, a lot of cooking is done at home. We expect that the sales will continue to be all right until Christmas in any case."

For more information:
Gemüsebau Kiening GbR.
Caroline Kiening
Bajuwarenstraße 6
Karlsfeld
+49 8131 25055
[email protected]   
www.kiening-gemuese.de/betrieb      

Publication date: