R R SUSEELA
Travelling teaches us a lot than the corridors of education. We learn a lot from Mother Nature, and different cultures, countries, languages while travelling. Post-COVID19, just move out and explore this borderless world and share your experience with www.navjeevanexpress.com readers.
I remember, at the same time August last year, we were there in a summer period in Germany from a place called Regansburg. Germans enjoy this season driving bicycles and two-wheelers, with short loose cotton clothing and enjoying tours for trekking and mountain climbing with families and friends.
They could not do this in the frost winter season. During summer the day time prolongs till 9 pm and gets more time to spend in the lush green farms.
The summer climate here is around 22 to 24 degrees Celcius which is very pleasant for perfect outings.
We planned a picnic to a private horticulture farm in Regansburg which was about 3 km on the outskirts of the city. The climate was very excellent that made us go by walk. All the way the woods, green pastures, bushy rose plants were a great treat to eyes. We reached the farm and happy to see so many people with families enjoying the situation.
We were allowed inside the Organic horticulture farm without any entrance fee. However, the visitors were allowed to eat (fruits) as much as they can inside the orchard. It was a great surprise for us.
Let me come to the point. In that horticulture farm, we saw blueberries, Ras berries, strawberries plants grown in long neat rows. I think it is a mobile fruit garden, can be shifted to any other farm also, since those plants were raised in very big pots.
Drip irrigation system
A drip irrigation system was provided to supply water and nutrients. The plants were full of fruits and even children can pluck from the ground.
Visitors who bring empty baskets and carry bags should be kept at the entrance. As soon as we entered the garden, we started plucking the fruits. It’s an experience that taking fruits directly from plants. It was very exciting that we ran, danced, sang, chatted while selecting the best fruits in the plants. We tasted blueberries, Ras berries, strawberries one by one. When we felt it was sufficient, we started collecting fruits. We saw cherry tomatoes, gherkins. brinjal in the green poly house. The cherry tomatoes were very cute and hanging in bunches. Maize crops were grown in the main field and we plucked e and tasted it happily.
It took more than three hours inside the garden. The fruits and vegetables brought outside the orchard by us were billed in the shop at the entrance.
All varieties of fruits, vegetables along with value-added products like juice, jelly, jam, squash were available in the shop. People like to purchase the new fresh organic byproducts at a reasonable rate. Finally, another curiosity was waiting for us. An open restaurant amidst a garden with a play area for the children was there and children jumped into that as soon as they saw it. The odour of cakes, colourful icecreams with hot pasta and Pizza attracted all. We found space for those items which were prepared then and there with the organic items available from the garden. It was really very delicious.
I have narrated the story from the point of the consumer. But we have to analyse this story. Yes. First thing is that they entertained the people to the orchard without any gate entrance fee and asked the people to taste the fruits there. It is really fantastic. We can eat fruits only from half to one kg at the maximum which will differ even less from children to adults. This will not be a big expense to the owner or farmer. By this system, she attracts many more people to this picnic spot. Now the earning starts from the exit gate.
She is billing the organic vegetables taken by the public. The fruits and vegetables along with the value-added byproducts kept in the shop attract and bring more business to the farmer. Finally, the cakes, biscuits, and snacks available in the shop fetch good profit to the farmer. The most clever thing is that the farmer can shift the site of the orchard from one town to another at any time.
So from this, we can learn the business and marketing techniques. So only the cultivation of land is not sufficient for good profit but also need modernised thought like this.
How to Reach
Flights to Munich (Germany) are available from Chennai and Bengaluru. Mostly there will be a transit flight depending on the airlines chosen. You can reach Regensburg by plane, train, bus or car. There is no airport in Regensburg. It takes an average of 1 hour 29 minutes to travel from Munich Airport Terminal to Regensburg main railway station by train, over a distance of around 48 miles (77 km). Daily 42 trains operate from Munich Airport Terminal to Regensburg main railway station and tickets for this journey start from €17.90 when you book in advance.
It takes about 20 to 30 minutes from the main railway station to the berry farms.
There are also many other attractions in Regensburg. Do refer this website for more details.
https://www.planetware.com/tourist-attractions-/regensburg-d-ba-reg.htm
(RR Suseela is the former Joint Director, Department of Agriculture, Tamil Nadu
She can be contacted at 91 9944388708 or rrsuseela1962@gmail.com)
