Spelt from South Germany
For over 30 years now, Naturata has been working successfully with a Demeter producer association in South Germany. Here, the spelt flourishes under ideal conditions, and the partnership based on trust and reliability guarantees the highest quality.
Spelt from South Germany
Naturata relies on long-term, reliable partnerships with its raw material suppliers. One example of such a partnership is that with the farmers of the Demeter producer association in South Germany which cultivates the spelt for our pasta. The farmers from South Germany supply spelt for Naturata’s pasta products. They belong to a Demeter producer association which has partnered Naturata successfully for over 30 years.
Our responsibility to man and nature
It is especially important to Naturata that fairtrade conditions also prevail here in Germany. That's why every year talks are held with the farmers at the round table. The aim is to inform each other and work together to create a fair spelt price, which will do justice to all involved and remains attractive to the end customer.
Thus, the farmers are offered an economically secure basis and in return Naturata is supplied to the amount of spelt despite the high demand quantity and scarcity of raw materials.
Quality promise
The optimum soil and weather conditions make the region an ideal location for cultivating spelt. Because the robust, hardy grain, thrives particularly well on the stony, humus poor soils and is resistant to weed and fungus.
For the Naturata pasta, traditional types of spelt are used, such as the Oberkulmer Rotkorn. It gives the pasta the fine nutty taste. In addition, it is a big plus of the variety that it is grown very much because of their popularity and thus there is a lot of experience.
In addition to the Oberkulmer Rotkorn other biodynamic varieties are grown. Since spelt biodiversity is very low, the varieties must be developed and bred. Otherwise, they would move too far away from real conditions and could not survive without adaptation to climate and soil conditions.
Denis Hahn, Demeter farmer from the Hottenlocher Hof, describes which varieties of spelt he cultivates and what sets the “Oberkulmer Rotkorn” variety apart.
What's special about our pasta is the collaboration between Naturata and the farmers which is based on years of personal contact with the Demeter producer association.
The Hottenlocher Hof
The Hottenlocher farm community, which is part of the Demeter producer association, lies in the heart of South Germany. It currently consists of three families and two apprentices. The biodynamic farm, and the approximately 140 ha of land belonging to it, is run according to the guidelines of the Demeter farming association.
On around 36 ha of farmland, trefoil grass is grown as fodder for the dairy herd in addition to spelt for human consumption. A varied crop rotation system includes an oat-pea-barley mixture as fodder for the animals as well as barley as whole crop silage used in the biogas plant as a source of renewable energy.
A further part of the 140 ha is made up of meadow scattered with fruit trees which also serves the animals as pastureland. The heart of the farm operation, however, is the 45-strong dairy herd. Their milk is processed using artisanal methods at the farm’s own cheese dairy. The farm keeps approximately 60 calves and young cattle for breeding purposes and for sausage and meat production.