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On 23 March the "Beratungsdienst Ökologischer Weinbau" e.V. (BOEW) with headquarters in Freiburg celebrated its 25th anniversary at its general meeting on 23 March. The chairman Paulin Köpfer did not only look back on "a strongly increased interest and growing membership". He also emphasized the importance of state funding, which supplements the membership fees. He also emphasised that the association with the Freiburg Viticulture Institute since 2004 has strengthened the link with research. Today, the consultants are the link to research and science as well as to associations such as Ecovin, Bioland, Naturland and Demeter and the winegrowers' associations.
In addition to advice on conversion to organic viticulture, the association's main focus is, according to its own statement, "in the development and maintenance of soil fertility, in individual organic plant protection strategies, targeted deciduous wall and soil management and the promotion of biodiversity in the vineyard". The range of plant cultivation consulting services is supplemented by personal consulting in order to increase the wine quality of the farms and to make expressive and individual wines in organic quality possible. The four-member team of the consulting service is active in Baden-Württemberg and abroad and supports the companies in all areas of production.
The 72 member companies with 268 hectares of vineyards in the year of its foundation have grown into an organisation with five employees, 171 producer members, 16 supporting members and 983 hectares of consulting area.
On February 1, 1992, the Advisory Service for Organic Viticulture started its work with Matthias Wolff. The initiative came, among others, from today's Bildungshaus Kloster St. Ulrich. The project was financed by the state of Baden-Württemberg, the share of the member companies and a contribution from the Ecovin Federal Association.
According to Köpfer, the complete changeover of the financing via the European Union represents a turning point. The procurement of funds via modules is a "very complicated and also administratively complicated procedure", which also results in "organisational changes for the members". According to Köpfer, at least 30 percent of the costs are currently financed by the winegrowers - in contrast to the free official consultation. From 2018, new consulting services can be applied for for module funding.
(uka / Photo: Ecovin)