Salubrious Soilless Salad
© die grüne, Pia Neuenschwander
Thanks to innovative cultivation methods, Thomas Wyssa, a producer from the Seeland region, can now say good bye to using large amounts of fertilizer and herbicides.
This year, the agricultural magazine "die grüne" devoted an entire focus series to soil, and we've been following the topics there with great interest. We found a story from the Fribourg region, where the family farm of 62-year-old Thomas Wyssa is located, particularly interesting. Outdoor vegetables are produced on the farm's 23 hectares, part of which is designated organic. But Wyssa has long been searching for alternatives to growing outdoors in the traditional manner. The reason? It requires more pesticides and more fertilizer than more innovative methods.
© die grüne, Pia Neuenschwander
Which is why so-called hydrosalads, among other things, can be found growing at this Seeland farm. They thrive in metal troughs installed outdoors at working height. Here, water and nutrients can be supplied to these sensitive plants in a much more concentrated way than if they were grown in soil. An ETH study looked at the quality of lettuce grown in the closed-loop system and found no differences in nutrient density. Meanwhile, grass grows under the lettuce installation, meaning the soil is both unburdened by machinery and protected from drying out. The method also requires 70% less water than is necessary for traditional cultivation. These are extremely exciting facts – particularly because, as the past summer has shown, precipitation is becoming increasingly rare. If we want good nutrition while maintaining the same quality of life, production must be adapted, and we must also adapt to a rapidly changing world. "The soil is our capital," says Thomas Wyssa. His farm also has greenhouses, where cucumbers, eggplants and tomatoes are grown. Here, too, the vegetable farmer is geared towards reducing the use of additives. Thanks to good climate control and the use of beneficial insects, herbicidal "plant protection" can be reduced to a minimum.
In winter, the poles upon which the vegetables grow are pulled up into the air, and lamb's lettuce is planted in the traditional way in the soil beneath.
We at Soil to Soul believe that it takes the effort of everyone involved to protect our soils – and by that we mean through pragmatism, not sectarianism. The story of Thomas Wyssa is a fine example of this.
"Die Grüne" editor-in-chief Jürg Vollmer has kindly allowed Soul Magazine readers to access to the entire article. You'll find it here (German only) – perhaps in return, you'll consider subscribing if you're in the producing business.