The Augustin Organic Fruit Farm
Our farm lies in "Altes Land", a region which is more deeply steeped in tradition than any other and includes the largest fruit-growing area in Northern Europe.
In combination with the maritime, north German climate, the fertile and nutrient-rich alluvial land soil of the Elbe region provides ideal preconditions for organic fruit farming. The Augustin Organic Fruit Farm has been a family-run business for more than 300 years and is a typical farmstead for this region.
The Story behind the Farm
The cultivation of land always has a long tradition. However, only very few farmers are able to look back on more than 300 years of history and the experience of several generations. According to church records, the Augustin Fruit Farm in "Altes Land" has been passed on and cultivated, from generation to generation, since the middle of the 17th century.
The main building on the estate was built in 1712 – the year in which both the future Prussian King, Frederick II ("the Great") and the French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau were born. Today the house is not a museum but forms the heart of a lively, modern and successful fruit-growing and marketing business.
Due to economic considerations, the Augustins started focusing exclusively on growing fruit as early as 1980, and decided against the cultivation of additional agricultural plants and animal husbandry. Since 1982, the current generation of Augustins, namely Katrin and Dierk, are responsible for cultivation of the farm. In 1990 Dierk took over the farm from his parents and began converting to organic agriculture, at first according to Naturland guidelines and since 2001 on the basis of the superior quality demands expected from Demeter farmers.
Today
The Augustins themselves cultivate 28 hectares of acreage. This area is slightly larger than the average cultivation area of the other fruit farms in the region.
In comparison with the cultivated land on ordinary farms, this size may appear infinitely small. That is to say, "Altes Land" is a region with highly-specialised agriculture, on which apples, pears, cherries or strawberries are produced, according to sophisticated processes. Currently, the Augustin Organic Fruit Farm produces approx. 750 tons of apples and a small quantity of pears annually.