Eferdinger Landl Gemüse

 
Record Number: 96
 
Disclosure Date
First evidence of vegetable growing in the region “Eferdinger Landl” in 13^th  century documents of the records of monasteries and nobles of today’s Upper Austria.
 
 
 
 

Photo: BMLFUW/A...

Title
Eferdinger Landl Gemüse
(Eferdinger Landl vegetables)
 
 
 
 
 
Abstract or claim
Cultivation of more than 70 different vegetable varieties in the region “Eferdinger Landl”.The regional vegetable production contributes significantly to the sustainable preservation of the landscape and to the maintenance of small family farms.
 
Name of product, Product class
Vegetables
 
Name of region 
Eferdinger Landl, Upper Austria, Austria
 
Field of search
Food and Agriculture
 
Name of information provider
Mr. Stefan Hamedinger
Assoziation Eferdinger GemüseLust
 
Name of applicant for title
---
 
Holder of knowledge or associated resources
About 150 family farms in the political district Eferding, Upper Austria
 
Grantee(s), holder(s), assignee(s) or owner(s) of title, if any
---
 
Descriptors
- History:
First evidence of vegetable growing in the region Eferdinger Landl was found in 13^th  century documents of monasteries and nobles in today’s Upper Austria. These documents inform about the quantities of vegetables regional farmers had to deliver to their landlords.
 
Documents from the 17^th  century report the growing of “Umurken” (cucumbers) and “Caruil” (cauliflower).
Potato growing was first mentioned in 1774. For a long time potatoes and cabbage used to be the predominated vegetable varieties. But also beetroot, turnip cabbage, endive, field salad, pumpkins, and green beans were already known.
The municipality ‘Eferding’ was an important centre of trade and crafts at a very early time. The vicinity of the Eferding Basin to the cities Linz and Wels as well as the good transport facilities became the basis for the rapid development of vegetable growing and vegetable trading.
Until the beginning of the 20^th  century large quantities of vegetables were rafted to Linz (capital of the Federal Province of Upper Austria) on several branches of the River Danube. Merchants used special types of boats (so-called ‘Plätten’) to transport the vegetables downriver to Linz. As soon as the vegetables were sold, the merchants walked home, while the ‘Plätten’ were fixed to ships and drawn upstream by horses.
 
In 1941 regional vegetable farmers founded the horticultural association Eferdinger Gartenbaugesellschaft, which led to a marked extension of the vegetables growing area in the region.
 
After World War II farmers extended the range of vegetables offered to include also Chinese cabbage, endive, celery, spinach, and carrots.
 
In the early 1950ies Eferdinger Gartenbaugesellschaft started the preservation of vegetables.
 
In 1976 the company “Efko Frischfrucht und Delikatessen GesmbH“ evolved from Eferdinger Gartenbaugesellschaft.
 
In 2002 thirty-one farmers joined to establish the producer organisation “Eferdinger Landl-Erdäpfel” (Eferdinger Landl potatoes).
 
In 2004 selected vegetable farmers, traders and restaurants joined forces and established the association “Eferdinger GemüseLust”.
 
In 2004 the designation “Eferdinger GemüseLust - Das Vergnügen der Vielfalt” was registered as a word/picture trademark.
 
Today, Eferdinger Landl is the centre of vegetable production in Upper Austria.
 
- R

Photo: BMLFUW/Rita Newman

egion:
The Upper Austrian Eferdinger Becken (Eferding Basin) is a plain landscape of about 188.5 hectares which is located on both sides of the Danube.
 
The region Eferdinger Landl is synonymous with the southern Eferding Basin and is located at about 256 - 380 m above sea. It encompasses the municipalities Alkoven, Fraham, Hinzenbach, St. Marienkirchen-Polsenz, Aschach a.D., Hailbach o.d.D., Prambachkirchen, Scharten, Eferding, Hartkirchen, Pupping, and Stroheim.
 
The southern Eferdinger Basin is situated at altitudes between 256 m and 280 m and is one of Austria’s most important vegetable-growing areas. In the municipalities Eferding, Pupping and Hinzenbach 18% of the arable land is used for vegetable growing.
 
Soil and climatic conditions:
In the southern Eferding Basin low terraces with sandy to loamy soils and pebbles prevail. The heavy soils are used both as arable land and as grassland.
Today vegetables are grown on about 1,100 hectares, about 12% thereof under the organic scheme.
 
Eferdinger Landl is one of the most arid and warmest regions of Upper Austria. Theaverage annual temperature is 8.5 °C, the annual precipitation is 800 mm. On 226 days of the year the average day temperature exceed 5 °C, on 165 days 10 °C. There are 30 ice-days, 65 days with alternate freezing and non-freezing conditions and 196 frost-free days.
 
- Eferdinger Landl vegetables:
More than 70 vegetable species are cultivated, with a focus on cabbages, salads, cucumbers, and root vegetables.
Upper Austrian vegetable farmers are market leaders in Austria for cabbage, broccoli, head and ice lettuce, field and pickling cucumbers, beetroot, and beer radish.
The annual yield of Eferdinger Landl Gemüse amounts to about 82,300 tonnes, thereof 9,870 tonnes cultivated in line with the organic farming criteria.
 
Method of production:
The size of an average vegetable producing enterprise is about 5.3 hectares. Compared to vegetable farms in the Netherlands or in Italy these enterprises are small.
Field-grown vegetables prevail (98%). Increasingly garden fleece and flexible garden folios are used to provide frost protection, which allows for earlier harvesting. 
 
Vegetables are produced according to the principles of Integrated Production (IP), taking into account the protection of soils and the minimum application of exclusively environmentally compatible plant protection products.
 
Seeds:
Eferdinger Landl Gemüse is exclusively grown from certified, non-GM seeds.
 
Soils and fertilisation:
Eferdinger Landl Gemüse is exclusively grown on fields registered in a farmer’s acreage index.
Intensive vegetable growing requires excellent soils. Optimum supply with nutrients is a precondition for premium quality.
Consequently, soils are regularly tested for phosphorus and potassium levels (twice per year) as well as for nitrogen (annually) in the framework of Integrated Production.
Fertilisation is subject to the requirements of the Austrian Agri-environmental Programme (ÖPUL). The application of fertilisers has to be documented in the acreage index.
 
Crop rotation:
Crop rotation is a necessity and depends on the respective vegetable variety.
 
Plant protection methods:
Plant protection measures may be applied only after defined economic thresholds have been reached. Only pesticides which comply with the requirements of Integrated Production (IP) may be used.
The application of pesticides has to be documented in writing in the acreage index.
 
Irrigation:
Vegetables are irrigated via the “Wassergenossenschaft Eferdinger Becken” (Water cooperative Eferding Basin, founded in 2006).
If irrigation is required, water of drinking water quality is pumped from wells to the fields through a net of water pipelines. 
 

Photo: BMLFUW/Rita Newman

Harvest and storage:
Harvesting is mainly from mid-May to October.
After harvesting vegetables are stored in appropriate cold-storage houses under conditions suiting the needs of the relevant vegetable variety.
 
Processing:
About 65 % of the entire harvest is sold as fresh vegetables. The remaining 35 % is processed to pickles by Upper Austrian companies (Efko, Machland, Seeburger, and Elfin).
 
Packaging:
Fresh vegetables are packed by producers themselves.
 
Proof of origin:
Eferdinger Landl Gemüse has to be traceable along the food chain. For this purpose farmers have to record data about the fields and varieties used and about harvesting of the different varieties.
 
The regional packaging companies record the name of the supplier, the variety, the species, the amount of vegetables, and the delivery date.
 
In food retail trade Eferdinger Landl Gemüse is labelled using the name of the farmer, which allows consumers to trace the product back to the producer.
 
Quality:
In food retail, Eferdinger Landl Gemüse complies with quality class I.
 
Quality control:
The production of Eferdinger Landl Gemüse is subject to the requirements of the Austrian Agri-environmental Programme and to the requirements of the AMA Quality Seal for vegetables. Both are controlled by accredited control organisations.
The AMA Quality Seal fulfils the criteria of GLOBALGAP standards for farmers in Austria.
Certified packaging companies, processors and traders apply the International Food Standard (IFS). 
 

Photo: BMLFUW/Rita Newman

- Marketing:
Depending on the varieties vegetables from the region ‘Eferdinger Landl’ are available throughout the year.
Vegetables are marketed via wholesale, retail, gastronomy, large-scale catering establishments, or directly via farm-gate sale or on farmer markets under the trademark “GemüseLust”.
 
Connection with the geographical area and Traditional Knowledge
- Sandy and fertile soils and the favourable climatic
  conditions of the region provide ideal conditions
  for the cultivation of field-grown vegetables.
- The unique taste and the typical flavour of varieties as well as the
  intense, natural colours are linked to the ideal soil, water and climatic
  conditions.
- The production of Eferdinger Landl Gemüse is the result of Traditional
  Knowledge passed down from generation to generation: the Traditional
  Knowledge and expertise of vegetables farmers (adaptation of the
  production method to the environmental conditions, selection of varieties,
  harvesting and storage techniques) and the experience of retail sellers
  and processors (pickles) in marketing.
 
- Utilization:
Eferdinger Landl Gemüse is either used as fresh vegetables or processed to pickles.
 
- Protection:
Word-picture trademark “Eferdinger GemüseLust-Das Vergnügen der Vielfalt“ (Austrian Patent Office No 217951, 17. June 2004).
 
Key Words
Food and Agriculture, Traditional Knowledge, Austria, Upper Austria, region, Eferding, Eferdinger Landl, Eferdinger Becken, cabbages, salads, cucumbers, root vegetables, Eferdinger Landl Gemüse, Eferdinger Landl vegetables
 
Bibliography / References
- OBERMAYR, H. (1995): Schmankerln aus dem Gemüsegarten:
  die besten Rezepte aus dem Eferdinger Landl, gesammelt von Puppinger
   Frauen, 4^th  edition, Landesverlag im VERITAS-VERLAG Linz, pp. 9-11 and p. 22f.
- SIEVERS, G.W. (2007): Das Eferdinger Becken, Kohl und BIO-Gemüse.
  In: Genussland Österreich – Was Küche und Keller zu bieten haben, Leopold
  Stocker Verlag, Graz, p. 131.
- Eferding
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eferding  
- Eferdinger Gemüselust
http://www.gemueselust.at  
- Eferdinger GemüseLust
http://www.agrar-net.at/netautor/napro4/appl/na_professional/index.php?id=2500%2C1327443%2C%2C
- Eferdinger Landl Gemüse
http://www.genuss-region.at/article/archive/8914  
- Eine Region entdeckt ihr Potenzial.
www.gemueselust.at/inhalt/presse/pressedownloads/pressetext_marke.doc  
- Frisches Trinkwasser für Eferdinger Gemüse
http://www.land-oberoesterreich.gv.at/cps/rde/xchg/SID-EEC51A94-34512C85/ooe/hs.xsl/53756_DEU_HTML.htm#Sub%20Trinkwasser62007  
- Fruchtbare Entwicklung
http://at.efko.cc/chronik.html  
- Gemüse, älter als die Menschheit
http://www.ama-marketing.at/index.php?id=596  
- Gemüse erwacht in der Genuss Region Eferdinger Landl
http://www.eferdinger-landl.at/modules.php?name=Print&art=Artikel&sid=969  
- „GemüseLust“ in der Region Eferding
http://www.news-online.at/regionalnewsdetail.asp?ID=2495  
- Genossenschaftliche Bewässerung im Eferdinger Becken (OÖ)
http://www.lko.at/netautor/napro4/appl/na_professional/parse.php?id=2500%2C1333865%2C%2C  
 - Geologie
http://www.ooe.gv.at/cps/rde/xchg/SID-481D6F7C-E806D559/ooe/hs.xsl/65078_DEU_HTML.htm
- Gründungsvertrag der Hopfenbaugenossenschaft aus 1951
- Grünes Tirol. Tiroler Kulturpflanzen. Die Geschichte der Kulturpflanzen
  (2^nd  part of a multi-part contribution)
http://www.tirol.gv.at/fileadmin/www.tirol.gv.at/themen/laendlicher-raum/agrar/zahlen-daten-agrarberichte/downloads/GGene_Save_Gruenes_Tirol_Ausgabe_2_2007_neu.pdf  
- Grünes Tirol. Tiroler Kulturpflanzen Die Geschichte der Kulturpflanzen
  (1^st  part of a multi-part contribution)
http://www.tirol.gv.at/fileadmin/www.tirol.gv.at/themen/laendlicher-raum/agrar/zahlen-daten-agrarberichte/downloads/Gene_Save_Tiroler_Kulturpflanzen_Gruenes_Tirol_Ausgabe_2_2007.pdf  
- LEADER REGION EFERDING
http://root.riskommunal.net/gemeinde/stroheim/gemeindeamt/download/219760282_1.pdf  
- Raumeinheit Eferdinger Becken
http://www.land-oberoesterreich.gv.at/files/naturschutz_db/Nala/Eferdinger%20Becken.pdf  
- TEXT AKADEMIE, Garantiert Frisches im Glas-Erko aus dem Eferdinger Becken.
  In. vetrotime, November 2003, Vetropack AG, CH-Bülach, S. 9
http://vetropack.inettools.ch/upload/dokumente/vetrotime_2003_03_de.pdf  
- Wasser für gesunde Lebensmittel
http://root.riskommunal.net/gemeinde/alkoven/gemeindeamt/download/Oktober_2007_Internet.PDF
 
All internet references last accessed on 3. November 2009.
 
Language Code
German
 
Product of www.genuss-region.at
Yes
 
Regional contact
Assoziation Eferdinger GemüseLust
Gabriele Wild-Obermayr /Mr. Stefan Hamedinger
Linzer Str. 4
4070 Eferding
Phone: 0043 50/6902/3532
www.gemueselust.at
 
Authors: Mag. Doris Reinthaler, Mag. Eva Sommer, Dr. Erhard Höbaus
  

10.11.2011, Lebensministerium III/4