Why it’s healthy to get up close to nature
Regional and seasonal food is a new trend: urban gardening on a farm
Who would have asked the greengrocer for rapini ten years ago? Root parsley or rutabaga were also things that were rarely in demand. “But a lot has happened,” observes the farmer, Burkhard Sagel. ‘Old’ fruit and vegetable varieties are the focus of a comeback. “Perhaps the myriad of cooking programs on television have played a certain part in this,” muses the farmer from Kirchhellen.
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Back to nature, regional and seasonal shopping and enjoyment – this has long been more than just a trend for a small section of the population. “There are more and more People for whom it is important to know where the meat that they eat comes from, how the animals lived, or also how long the way from the field or tree to their own kitchen is for fruit and vegetables. Mangos & Co that are transported by airplane would certainly be a pleasure to taste, if you only knew where the fruits were grown and how they got to the fruit dealer’s shelf. There is a lot to think about then.”
The awareness of many consumers has changed; the interest in food, manufacturing and quality has increased
Farmer Sagel’s farm is on the outskirts of the town. He has always been a farmer. “Just a bit different now.” He has said goodbye to raising pigs. In previous years, up to 700 pigs lived on his farm. Mass animal husbandry. Today he keeps 58 cattle. There are also horses, donkeys, geese, chickens and peacocks. “Our cattle live in six groups at five different locations.” Burkhard Sagel does not own a stall. “The animals have shelters into which they can retreat.” This means large tunnels that stand on the cattle pastures. Unlike many of his fellow farmers, Sagel does not operate a farm shop. “We sell our beef, but only on order and from a refrigerator truck.” Pigs and poultry are new additions to the range. “To do this, we concluded a deal with two other farmers. The animals are also kept in the open on their farms. One has even been certified as an organic farm.”
The awareness of many consumers has changed. “They just want to know more,” says Sagel. He started to invite kindergarten groups and school classes to his farm early on. “Many children only know potatoes, kohlrabi or tomatoes from the supermarket shelves. They have never seen how the plants grow in the field or fruits grow on the bushes, let alone harvested them for themselves.” Over the years, the Kirchhellen-based farmer has frequently experienced how great the desire of many townsfolk is to have a piece of land. 120 families currently use the Sagel ‘vegetable garden’ – a project that is becoming increasingly popular (information is available at www.bauernhof-sagel.de). The gardeners get to work throughout the summer. The contract ends when the parcels of land have been harvested, and then Burkhard Sagel and his tractor will be required once again. The area is plowed with a large piece of machinery for next year’s harvest.
A whole host of herbs also thrive on 45 square meters
Burkhard Sagel has allocated an entire field for allotment gardens. 45 square meters are available to every family, every lessee. The garden can be leased for one season. Even complete gardening novices won’t be overwhelmed by the maintenance and harvesting process. Burkhard Sagel provides a garden area, where the soil has been turned over and treated. “In addition, 20 varieties of vegetables have already been planted.” The rest is in the hands of the family gardeners. “Of course, I am always happy to be available to answer questions,” says the farmer. The ‘vegetable gardeners’ actively work on their parcels of land on a regular basis, loosening the soil, eagerly monitoring the growth of the plants. Rucola and tomatoes, lettuce or beans are harvested. “And how great the vegetables from your own garden taste. The children aren’t the only ones to tell me this afterwards,” says Burkhard Sagel, who is delighted with the response.
Meanwhile, enthusiastic young gardeners have also leased a vegetable garden from Burkhard Sagel. “They use their own parcel of land in the little garden as a green oasis,” says the farmer, “In many associations, the statutes regarding the cultivation of garden areas have clearly relaxed.” Peppers, rutabaga and fresh herbs are now farmed on Sagel’s field. Like the prongs of a large comb, the two meter-wide and 23-meter-long parcels of land stretch across the field. Each clearly separated “by a small path,” explains the farmer.
Lost knowledge returns
Sage, thyme, rosemary, oregano, parsley, chives, and mint are found in the field. “The TV cooks have also done a good job here,” says Sagel. Fresh kitchen herbs are experiencing a genuine renaissance. But many of the plants don’t just taste good, they also have a healing effect. “Knowledge of this has been lost over many generations”, says the farmer, regretfully. “It was easier for our mothers and fathers to go to the pharmacy at the first signs of a cold and to obtain the appropriate medication.”
“Sage tea can do the same for you at an early stage,” say Farid Zitoun and Christian Rüger from Naturheilzentrum Bottrop. The experts on herbalism in the 21st Century welcome the ‘urban gardening’ trend. “It leads to more People dealing with the power of the plants once again. And herbs from the pharmacy or your own garden are usually very well suited as a form of self-help with everyday problems.”
Sage is a genuine multi-talent – medicinal plants can be a real help
Sage is, for example, a real multi-talent “not just in the case of coughs and colds,” says the Bottrop-based blogger and naturopath Farid Zitoun, “But also in the case of menopausal symptoms. Those who chew sage leaves during hot flashes will find that it can have amazing effects.” Nature has a lot to offer. Monks and nuns already knew that in the early 6th Century. Charlemagne also arranged for medicinal plants to be cultivated on his crown estates. For a long time, however, it was mainly the monasteries, which developed into centers of medicine at that time. Their gardens guaranteed new supplies of medicine. The use of medicinal plants is often a valid supplement to chemically-produced medicinal products, especially in the case of minor complaints or chronic disorders. “However, they are not to be understood as a substitute, under any circumstances,” as the YouTuber and naturopath, Christian Rüger knows. Practical experience has shown that a combination of both systems produces the best result for the patient.
