Thomas and his innovative ideas as a young farmer in Steinegg

What came first? The chicken or the egg? This problem was one that had the philosophers in Ancient Greece racking their brains. For Thomas Resch from the Mortnerhof in Steinegg, however, the question is relatively easy to answer: neither the one nor the other! For the young, innovative South Tyrolean farmer, what came first was an idea!

Thomas Resch was born at the Mortnerhof on the outskirts of Steinegg, from where on the one side there are wonderful views of Bolzano and the Mendel mountains, whilst on the other side one can marvel at the Eisack Valley as far as the Seiser Alp and the Schlern.
Admittedly, it was not only this view of South Tyrol that led the young Steinegger to decide to remain here on the farm and continue the work of his parents. Rather, it was his respect and regard for the history of the Mortnerhof and that which had already been built here, as well as his knowledge of the freedom that he would have to innovate and put his ideas into practise with the full support of his parents. 

That is because, whilst in Thomas’ view it is important to respect and utilize what is already in place, the young farmer also believes that it is essential to tread new paths and implement innovative ideas: a coexistence of old and new, the one enhancing the other.
Of course it is not as simple as that, since everything new carries with it a risk. For Thomas, however, that is not a problem, since, as he so resolutely says: “You can’t get anywhere in life without taking risks!”

And what does all this have to do with the problem of the chicken and the egg?

Well, out of his appetite for risk has come a henhouse, with which the modern young farmer has diversified into a second area alongside his family’s traditional dairy farming business. He had the idea to do this whilst still at agricultural college; chickens and eggs were simply the result of his persistent hard work. Today at the Mortnerhof there are 250 cackling free-range hens in an enclosure of over 1000 m2 with a henhouse, which supply up to 230 eggs per day.
Thomas is especially proud of the fact that almost all of them are supplied to customers in Steinegg, both to private households and the hospitality industry. This is because another conviction of the pioneering chicken farmer is the idea of sustainability, which, among other things, he seeks to put into practice by shortening the distances between producer and consumer.

The idea of sustainability coupled with his innovative way of thinking has provided the resourceful Steinegg native with yet more inspiration: together with other farmers, he hopes to set up a farm shop in the village, in which the Steinegg residents can buy agricultural produce direct from the surrounding producers. With this new platform, Thomas also hopes to pass on some of the good fortune that he has experienced himself through the support of his parents and to help other young farmers onto the path to success.

At the same time, Thomas is showing his deep attachment to his homeland of South Tyrol and life in the village of Steinegg. This is also expressed through his keen participation in countless clubs and societies, which have become his biggest hobby.
In particular, the music society is important to Thomas, as music offers him a counterbalance to his work on the farm. But whether or not he occasionally serenades his chickens with his flugelhorn may well remain a trade secret!
Anyone who knows the imaginative Steinegger knows, however, that he is always good for a surprise!

Incidentally, evolutionary scientists have long since solved the question of the chicken and the egg, without going into the philosophical background. Chickens are part of the bird class, and that has existed for 150 million years. Eggs, on the other hand, already existed over 300 million years ago, which decides the debate in favour of the egg. Thomas is probably not bothered either way.