Run a garden online? You can!
Running a vegetable garden with your smartphone or laptop and having the harvest delivered to your home? That sounds tempting. That's exactly the concept behind the startup myAcker from Carinthia. In an interview with ntv.de, founder Christoph Raunig explains where the vegetables come from and how they differ from supermarket products.
Growing your own tomatoes, zucchinis and carrots is something many people can only dream of. After all, not everyone has the opportunity and/or the time to tend their own garden. That's what Carinthians Christoph Raunig and Patrick Kleinferchner thought when they founded the online platform myAcker in 2018. Here you can create your own small virtual vegetable garden. In an interview with ntv.de, Christoph Raunig reveals how it works and whether you can join in even if you're a complete beginner.
ntv.de: How does the MyAcker concept work?
Christoph Raunig: MyAcker works like an online vegetable garden. The special thing is that you go through all the activities yourself that you would go through in your own garden if you were growing vegetables. But you do the whole thing remotely. Everything that happens in the field is done by people on site. They implement the commands that were given online. Our Icosa station collects important data from all of our customers' gardens. This includes, for example, weather data, information on soil moisture, the degree of weed infestation and data on the growth progress of the plants in the field. All of this can be viewed online. For people who don't have the opportunity to grow their own vegetables, this is ideal because they can combine the digital with the analog. So you can also grow your own vegetables if you live in a high-rise building in a big city.
Is it even worth registering with myAcker in the winter months?
The myAcker garden is based on reality - as if you actually had your own vegetable garden. You can't do anything in your own garden in winter, which is why the myAcker season starts around Easter and runs until the beginning of November. We want people to take a closer look at their food and where it comes from. At myAcker, people are reminded of all the activities they used to do physically.
Where are the vegetables planted and how big is the vegetable garden?
Customers can choose the size of their garden themselves. Initially, you get a garden of between one and two square meters. Then you can expand it up to seven square meters. The customer can decide for themselves which garden they would like. For example, it can be located in Mühldorf in Mölltal (Carinthia) or in Rappoltenkirchen, in the Tullnerfeld region near Vienna.
What types of vegetables can you grow in your online garden?
You can choose between 67 different types of vegetables and herbs. However, you have to earn experience points to get this large selection. The more gardening experience you have, the more plants you can choose from. Of course, you can't grow everything all year round. Plants can't thrive when it's below freezing at night because the water freezes. But the last vegetables we harvested were able to withstand sub-zero temperatures for a short time. These include sprouted cabbage and white cabbage, for example.
What do users plant the most?
Our bestsellers are lettuce, carrots and radishes. It's actually a colorful mixture of vegetables that are planted by users.
What is the quality of the vegetables? Is it organic?
Both fields are exclusively organic vegetables. This has been the case from the very beginning, but in 2021 our vegetables are now officially certified organic. Since then, the farm has been inspected by the organic inspection body BIOS. The fertilizers we use are also organic fertilizers.
How can you see whether the instructions are being followed properly?
The garden is equipped with cameras so that you can see what is happening in your own garden at any time. There are also lots of people who come by and take a look at their garden. So that's no problem at all. You just need to book in advance so that one of our gardeners can give you a little tour.
How do you get the vegetables? Do you have to harvest them yourself?
The vegetables are harvested, packed and sent at the customer's request. Shipping is very fast and climate-neutral within Austria. You will have your harvest at home the very next day. So you don't need to go there in person. Nevertheless, you can of course also collect your vegetables yourself. To do this, customers simply select the "Pick up yourself" option on the portal.
Can vegetables also be sent to Germany?
Shipping is only possible within Austria, otherwise the transportation route would be too long and the vegetables would suffer. However, we have also integrated partners who use the concept and then operate the market in their area. We are currently actively looking for other partners who want to establish a new digital foothold.
How much does the whole thing cost?
Customers can choose the size of their garden and the types of vegetables they want to grow. It costs 39.90 euros a month for the garden. This includes all activities in the garden - i.e. the garden rental with all plants, fertilizer, watering and all other necessary work steps. He also has five free harvest packages, which means you get your harvest delivered five times free of charge. After that, shipping costs of 6.90 euros will be added because we also want to ensure that the harvest is efficient. If you want to have the carrots sent on Monday and the lettuce on Tuesday, for example, you should not do this individually. There are also seasonal packages for 199 euros with the same services as the monthly package, but most people choose the subscription model. However, it is important not to book for just one month, as the vegetables need a month to ripen and therefore no harvest can be expected in the first month. In our opinion, you should plan on three months for a good harvest.
Is it possible to run an online garden even as an absolute beginner gardener without any know-how? How do you avoid mistakes?
Of course, the platform supports you with information about gardening. The information is provided in such a way that you can only carry out the activities that you are allowed to do. This makes the whole thing easier. You can only grow plants for which the right soil temperature is available.
Do you get money back if there is no harvest - due to bad weather, for example?
The basic idea is, of course, that you have to deal with your food. It's part of the "game" that not everything works perfectly, but in principle you can also buy crop insurance. Then you are covered if the harvest doesn't work because it was too cold during the year, for example. But most users take the risk and book without insurance. After all, you have no guarantee of a good harvest in your own garden on your doorstep.
What happens if you don't look after your garden or don't harvest your crops?
If you don't water your vegetables, for example, or if there are dangers lurking, you will receive notifications from our portal. Often several times. If these are ignored, the harvest may be at risk. Fortunately, this happens very rarely. There is a vacation package in case customers are away for a few weeks. Then the platform takes care of it. However, most people are very behind in planting and harvesting their produce properly.
What happens if you don't want your harvest after all?
You can have your harvest donated, for example to needy families or charitable organizations. Or you can sell your harvest on our marketplace.
What is the marketplace and how does it work?
Many people also use the marketplace, where you can buy additional products. I also have the opportunity to sell my own surplus harvest to other online gardeners. So you can trade back and forth. It should be noted, however, that the vegetables can only be kept for seven days after harvesting. That's why they are removed from the marketplace after this period. If it is still edible, we don't throw it away, but donate it.
Which people use MyAcker?
Many families with children use myAcker to pass things on to the next generation in a fun way. We also have many companies that plant and harvest vegetables for their employees, as well as school classes. There, a class garden is looked after together as part of a school year. The pupils divide up the work in the garden and then there is also a class excursion to the field. After the harvest, the vegetables are cooked and eaten together.
Isabel Michael spoke to Christoph Raunig
In an online interview, Christoph Raunig also discussed the possibility of hosting garden tours for users who want to visit their online gardens in person.
Despite being primarily an online platform, myAcker offers the option for users to physically visit their gardens during certain times, providing them with a unique, hands-on experience.
In addition to creating a virtual garden online, users can also opt for a physical subscription that includes scheduled, guided tours of their garden's location.
By offering both digital and physical options, myAcker caters to users with varying preferences and interests, providing an engaging and interactive experience of gardening all year round.
Source: www.ntv.de
