Issues close to the heart
Three women from the Eggental provide insights into specific projects they are implementing in their businesses, municipalities and gardens. Katja Rechenmacher Fäckl talks about the “Regional Production Cycles” project, Brigitte Zelger presents measures adopted at Hotel Pfösl, and Sabine Pichler Weissensteiner describes vegetable growing at the Schafflbergerhof.
Small steps to a big goal
“We probably don’t even know about everything that we have achieved,” says Katja Rechenmacher Fäckl. As a Welschnofen councillor, sustainability officer and the boss at the Hotel Friedrich, when she speaks about sustainability it sounds somewhat low-key. “If everyone just makes a small change, then big things can happen,” she says, as, from her terrace, she turns her gaze in relaxed fashion towards the imposing Rosengarten massif.
As an entrepreneur and local politician, Katja sees daily how the word “sustainability” is sometimes the subject of lively discussion. She describes the everyday polarisation that she observes time and time again thus: “The issue is defined too extremely by some and belittled by others.” Her interpretation of the topic of sustainability is, in contrast, one that aims to unify – and above all is rather pragmatic: “It isn’t a case of taking something away from people or forbidding them from doing something,” she says, making a plea for mutual understanding: “Far more, it is a process whereby together we can make a change by taking many small steps that will have a positive outcome for everyone.”
For this reason too, she cannot say exactly when she and her husband, Christof, began to integrate the idea of sustainability into their everyday lives. In any case, since they took over and renovated Christof's parents’ hotel in 2006, “premium quality” has been right up at the top of Katja and Christof's list of priorities. Their aim is that their guests should find local and regional products on their plates and in their glasses whenever possible. And since then, Katja has noticed two pleasing developments: firstly, that in the region, farmers and producers have a growing awareness of uncompromising quality. And secondly, that their guests increasingly appreciate this quality. “The understanding of the guests for true sustainability is constantly growing,” she says. “Today, many of them want to know exactly what they are eating and drinking and where we obtain our supplies.”
“Today, many of them want to know exactly what they are eating and drinking and where we obtain our supplies.”
Katja cites the “Regional Production Cycles” project as a specific example. Through the project, farms in the Eggental supply vegetables and eggs to participating hospitality businesses in the valley. According to the project organisers, around ten farms and almost 30 hospitality businesses currently take part. Figures last updated: October 2023.
The initiative began in Welschnofen and has since expanded to other municipalities in the Eggental. Each participating business decides which products it supplies or purchases.
And yet, Katja knows that there is still a great deal to do. For example, when it comes to private transport: “In rural areas in particular, it is an enormous challenge,” even though she has noticed that the majority of her guests leave their car parked as much as possible during their holiday. Nevertheless she is campaigning for gradual improvements in the public transport offering. Not least because she can see that her own children are less and less interested in learning to drive, explaining that “my son still does not have a driving license at 20 years of age.”
The awareness of young people, she says, is much greater than it was in the past. “Naturally, as a family we want to make our contribution towards caring for and preserving the wonderful place where we live,” says Katja. Discussions that she has had on the subject with her family inspire and reinforce her conviction that together big things can be achieved through small steps. Her work in the municipality is shaped by this conviction too: “Cooperation from the village community is absolutely essential,” says Katja: “Making sure that not only do we talk about sustainability, but also truly put it into practice will take commitment from everybody.”
Food, farming and tourism
Brigitte Zelger runs Hotel Pfösl in Deutschnofen together with her sister Eva and her brother-in-law Daniel. Their work at the hotel includes looking at where food comes from, reducing food waste and offering meat-free dishes.
Eggental Tourism holds the South Tyrol Sustainability Label®. The certification covers destination management and the measures assessed under the label’s criteria. It does not mean that every business and tourism offer in the Eggental is automatically certified. Further information about the audit process and scope is available on the certification page.
In the case of Brigitte Zelger’s remarkable commitment, people are always at the heart of everything she does: both those who live in the Eggental Valley and those who come here to visit. “We all need to meet one another as equals,” is her motto. This is the only way for mutual respect and a common identification with the sustainable approaches here in the Eggental Valley to develop. “If we do sensible things such as not importing meat from Ireland and wine from California, then in the end everyone will benefit.”
The kitchen team at Hotel Pfösl plans its purchasing and menus with the aim of reducing food waste. The hotel does not serve strawberries in winter. Some herbs and vegetables are grown in the permaculture plot and herb beds directly in front of the hotel. Further information about the origin of individual ingredients is available from the hotel. And the extra special flavours are provided by the magnificently fragrant herb beds that are some of Brigitte's favourite places.
Alongside her work at the hotel, Brigitte Zelger serves on the municipal council and works as a sustainability officer for the Hotel and Restaurant Association. In this role, she works with businesses and destinations on specific measures. At Hotel Pfösl, these include planning food purchases, reducing food waste, offering meat-free dishes and growing selected herbs and vegetables in front of the hotel.
A vegetable garden almost like paradise
The Schafflbergerhof was once like paradise. Overlooking the Eggental valley from on high there was once a small building with a tiny barn where an old farmer lived in very simple conditions. But here on the steep south-facing slope there was an abundance of other things: water from his own spring and sun from morning until night – which is why tomatoes and many other varieties of vegetable were able to grow so well there. Today, however, nothing remains of the old farm. Instead, Sabine Pichler Weissensteiner lives there with her husband, Karl, and their four children in a modern home with every comfort. But even though a great deal has changed here, the heavenly location remains the same. And on the slope behind the house, tomatoes are now flourishing again.
“Actually we more or less fell into things here,” says Sabine, as she and Karl harvest the fruits of their labours in the magnificent August evening sunshine and prepare crates of tomatoes for delivery the following morning. Sabine’s father will take them to the restaurants in Welschnofen and on the Karer Pass, which are part of the “regional production cycles” project.
At the Schafflbergerhof, Sabine Pichler Weissensteiner and her family grow tomatoes, cucumbers, courgettes and cabbages, among other produce. Part of the harvest is supplied to hospitality businesses in Welschnofen and on the Karer Pass that participate in the “Regional Production Cycles” project. Produce grown at the farm is therefore prepared and served by participating businesses in the Eggental.
Actually, Sabine and Karl only wanted to plant a few things for themselves in their garden. A couple of chickens, two goats and a few vegetables – they didn’t really want to bother with much more, especially since Karl is busy with his job and Sabine, who is a teacher on parental leave with four children, barely has a spare moment. But when they began to grow tomatoes and all of a sudden had over 100 small plants, things just happened. Sabine and Karl quickly noticed that here on the slopes of the Schafflbergerhof everything grew more or less by itself. “Actually it is hardly possible to imagine how much can come from such a small seed,” says Sabine. And suddenly, in late summer, they had far more tomatoes than they could possibly eat themselves.
Sabine and Karl tend to their garden with love and passion: “It doesn’t feel like work, because it gives us so much pleasure,” they say. As a result, nowadays not only do tomatoes in every colour grow at the Schafflbergerhof, but also cucumbers, courgettes and cabbages. Of course without a generous helping of idealism and passion all of this would not have been possible. But when the vegetables are ripe, then it is not only the restaurants that look forward to the deliveries from this idyllic garden. Sabine, Karl and the children also appreciate what arrives on their table at home. “After all, first and foremost, people need food and drink to live,” says Sabine – and for that reason it is especially important for her to know that her own vegetables only need water, sunshine, time and care to grow: “Of course we can tell from the taste.”
Which is why in Sabine’s home, only tomatoes from her own garden are served at dinner: “We no longer buy them from anywhere else,” she says. So it’s good that for her, the tomato season lasts almost half of the year. The first are already ripe in July – and the last, if they are properly harvested, can ripen in the cellar until Christmas. “We are constantly trying new things,” says Sabine. This includes not only improving the storage conditions, but also growing new varieties and learning every day. She is quite relaxed about the fact that not everything works all the time. And the life she and her family enjoy on the idyllic land of the old Schafflbergerhof is equally relaxed. They may work a great deal here, but they also laugh together a lot. Karl supports her after work and the children also help, even if not always with the same enthusiasm. As a family it brings them together – and now and again they take a break from the garden, jump into their car together and go to the sea for a week. “Otherwise,” says Sabine, smiling all over her face, “we do not need a lot of downtime. Because our lives here are already like being on holiday.”
