As of this week, outdoor rhubarb is being diligently cut at the Nefzger farm in the Bavarian town of Inchenhofen, district Sainbach. "We are starting this year's harvest at about the same time as in previous years," says owner Peter Nefzger, pointing to the good conditions at the start of the season. "Our fields have received enough rain in recent weeks, only the sunshine hours could be a little more. Overall, however, the stocks have grown up well and the demand for the early goods is also very pleasing. This is despite the fact that prices are at a high level."
Niche crop in Bavarian outdoor cultivation
Four years ago, the grower took the plunge into growing rhubarb outdoors. He started with about two hectares, and in a few years the plant was expanded to 150,000 plants. "I came across the crop at the time through my Dutch supplier, who provides me with asparagus seedlings, and then added it to the portfolio. In the meantime, we are among the larger rhubarb growers in Bavaria. We supply our produce to food retailers throughout Bavaria, the Munich wholesale market and other bulk buyers. The remaining part of the yield is traded via our own stands in direct marketing," describes Nefzger, who continues to operate an organic asparagus farm. The cultivation of organic rhubarb is out of the question for the time being, he adds, due to the high amount of work involved for the grower.
Direct marketing via the company's own stands went very well last year, according to Nefzger.
Rising demand
The rhubarb season runs virtually parallel to the asparagus campaign, he continues. "We end our sales season just in time for St. John's Day on June 24, as demand drops sharply from that point on." The Nefzger family's raspberry rhubarb has also been able to become an integral part of the seasonal product range in regional food retailers, he says.
"Our product is offered in 500-, 750- or 1000-g flowpacks, but also in bulk in 5- or 10-kg cartons, depending on customer requirements. Furthermore, our rhubarb is processed into juice, either in our own juice production or from regional press houses. In the course of the increasing demand for regional rhubarb, we want to double our cultivation area in the next few years."
Some of the company's own yield is also processed into rhubarb juice.
Images: Nefzger Rhubarb
Further information:
Peter Nefzger
Nefzger Rhabarber
Augsburger Str. 1
86570 Inchenhofen
Telefon: +49 171 3550297
nefzger@googlemail.com
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