The fruit orchard in West Jutland
Near Ringkøbing, close to the North Sea, our orchard started with fruit and berries in 1981.
We started with blackcurrants, elderberries, apples, blueberries and currants. For a period of time, almost all fruit was gone.
In 2013 we decided to start again with Apples, Pears, Plums, Elderberries, Raspberries and Walnuts. The planting of trees started in 2014.
Today there are 6ha of apples, 1ha of pears and smaller areas of plums, elderberries and raspberries.
The fruit orchard supplies fruit to Vesterhavsmost, which processes and develops products based on the fruit.
All our products are made from fruit grown in our own apple orchard. The apple orchard is located right next to the winery and Laubjerg's Rose Garden.
Fruit growing in West Jutland
There is no tradition of growing fruit as close to the North Sea as we live. Originally, the area was ravaged by sandstorms and storm surges, but ever since Stone Age people became farmers 4,000 years ago, farming has been the main occupation of West Jutland. King Christian IV issued a regulation in the 17th century. The farmers had to plant shelterbelts, fruit trees and hops. It failed completely, but today the sand drift has stopped and the shelterbelts have been established. Now it is possible to grow fruit close to the North Sea. The soil here is developed from river deposits, deposited during the last ice ages. The soils are sandy and well drained, and at the same time have limited water and nutrient supply, properties that enhance the flavors of the apples. There are good micro-climatic conditions in the orchard, as the terrain slopes slightly to the southwest. This provides higher solar radiation and at the same time promotes the slope, so that cold morning air slides away, so frost damage in spring is reduced.
Aerial photo of the orchard
An aerial view of the entire orchard from early spring. Here we are eagerly awaiting this year's harvest. In the background is one of Denmark's largest wind farms located in Hjortmose. We use renewable energy sources in our production.
Shelf in the orchard
We grow two types of elderberry in the field. A common white elderberry and a red elderberry. Today, the flowers are used for our elderflower liqueur.
The walnut plantation
We planted the first grafted walnuts in 2015, as a test field with 16 walnut varieties.
Today we have selected some varieties and our total area is 7ha with approximately 1400 grafted walnut trees.
Walnuts are native to Southern Europe and the Orient, we all know bags of Walnuts from Grenoble. Here in Denmark we have known the Walnut tree from the end of the 1300s and perhaps all the way back to the Roman Iron Age. In the 1500s walnuts were planted at monasteries and castles. There has never been any actual commercial production in Denmark.
Walnuts have had great potential for use over the centuries, and today we know that eating nuts significantly reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease.
In the good old days, it was said that boiled green leaves repelled cabbage worms and other pests on cultivated plants. There may be something to that, as today in Moldova plums are planted in rows between walnuts to keep the plums away from aphids.
Establishment support for Laubjergs Planteskole ApS
Establishment support for young farmers aims to ensure generational change in Laubjergs Planteskole ApS
The goal of the project is to have a generational change at Laubjergs Planteskole in 2024. This will secure the company in the future.
The purpose of the support is to strengthen the opportunities for young farmers and gardeners to successfully establish themselves. Establishment support for young farmers is part of the Danish CAP plan and is funded by the EU.