I come from an old farming family in the valley floor of Bolzano. After industrialization, around 70 years ago, each of my many uncles and aunts chose a different agricultural branch. My father was then working in his own wine cellar. We were eight children – he instilled in me a passion for agriculture, especially for wine. From a young age, my goal was to make a mountain farm viable. Therefore, I went to Vienna to study agricultural science at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences with the aim of learning new things and exploring niches. One thing became clear to me very quickly: the less chemical treatment, the more authentic the product. This applies to meat, eggs, vegetables, apples, grapes, as well as all other products. After my studies, I bought a very beautiful but somewhat run-down mountain farm with my wife Alberta, which inspired both of us immediately: at an altitude of 1,000 meters, with pastures between 1,400 and 1,800 meters, with our own forest. The farm was first mentioned in the mid-13th century. Later it was known as Widum Baumannhof, which means "steward for the parish or provider of land belonging to the church," whose large oven was particularly popular. Our goal was to make the farm viable through sustainable mountain farming and self-sufficient – especially from an energy perspective. It was also a pilot project with which we wanted to encourage and motivate others to do something similar, as mountain agriculture is the basis of the beauty and uniqueness of our country. Here we lived for over 30 years with our four children. More than 30 years ago, growing apples at this altitude was a bold decision. No one would have believed back then that apples could ripen here. Very soon after the apples, apple distillates, fruit distillates, apple juice, and mother cow farming were added, as well as vegetable and radicchio cultivation, and finally wine. A true circular economy. The old farm was gently renovated and expanded. Only what w...