German Women's Green Entrepreneurship Story: My Harvest Experience
Image source http://www.facebook.com/meineernte
A longing to return to rural life is quietly spreading through Germany's major cities.
In Germany, more and more consumers are interested in eating vegetables they have grown themselves, and for those who are too busy to be farmers every day or who have no land of their own to grow on, a way to connect with nature has been found that is good for both body and mind: join 'Meine Ernte', which translates into Chinese as 'My Harvest'!
Two young women entrepreneurs, Wanda Ganders and Natalie Kirchbaumer, began their green business journey in December 2009 from the city of Bonn, Germany. Their idea was to combine community-supported agriculture with a sense of public participation. They work with local organic farmers to turn city dwellers into paying "urban farmers" who grow fresh, healthy vegetables and fruit, while also helping local small farmers increase their income. They now offer member allotment-growing services in eighteen cities in Germany.
'My Harvest' offers two sizes of garden and charges a membership fee for the growing season (late April or early May to late October): a small garden at 13.6 ping, about NT$7,000, and a family garden at 25.7 ping, about NT$13,000. As the growing season approaches, dedicated farmers begin preparing to sow the seeds of more than twenty different vegetables, herbs and flowers into the prepared plots, and of course they also leave some open ground for members to plant whatever crops they wish.
'My Harvest' not only provides growers with the tools they need, it also holds regular professional workshops and offers expert advice. Urban farmers need only spend one or two days a week, or even just a few hours, watering, weeding and keeping an eye on the crops, connecting with nature and making new friends, while the rest of the time the professional farmers look after the garden for you. In addition, the online community run by My Harvest and its constantly updated photos record the joys of farming for everyone.
The crop varieties that 'My Harvest' sows for members are: cauliflower, beans, peas, fennel and various cabbages, carrots, daikon radish, salad greens, pumpkin, beetroot, spinach, cucumber, potato, zucchini, onion, leek and corn. By calculation, the market value of a member's first harvest of crops is about NT$24,000. Through farming, you can not only connect with nature and achieve a relaxed and comfortable state of body and mind, but also eat organic, healthy vegetables and fruit, and save a considerable amount of money on buying vegetables. For members, it really is an excellent deal!
Farm plot facilities and sowing plan diagram http://www.meine-ernte.de/die-idee0.html
"My Harvest" website: