The canton of Thurgau, is the leading fruit growing area in Switzerland and its largest apple producer. One in three eating apples consumed in Switzerland and almost half of apples used industrially in the production of cider and juice across the whole country come from Thurgau, and the canton is also home to several large cider mills. The fruit is grown almost exclusively in family-run orchards. The harvest from the low-growing plantations is predominantly used for the production of eating fruit, while the fruits of the more traditional high-growing trees are either used by the orchard family themselves or put into industrial processing. The high-growing trees that once dominated the landscape, particularly in Oberthurgau, made way for the low-growing plantations in the 1950s. Uniquely in Thurgau, high-growing trees were planted on the crest of the hills to exploit climatic conditions. Although many of the trees have been cleared, this feature can still be seen in many areas.
The high fields of Oberthurgau © Bruno Hugentobler, 2011
Low-growing plantations for Braeburn apples in Riedt/Erlen © Bruno Hugentobler, 2009
Tons of apples are supplied to Ramseier Aachtal AG cider mill by the fruit growers © Ramseier Suisse AG, 2011
The six modern fruit presses at Ramseier Aachtal AG cider mill © Ramseier Suisse AG, 2011
The packing press being filled with mash © Martina Obrecht, 2011
The packing press © Martina Obrecht, 2011
Thurgau stone mills from 1791 (left) and 1829 (right) from Egnach © Alexander Troehler
Detailed description
Obstbau und -verarbeitung (PDF, 399 kB, 20.06.2018)Ausführliche Beschreibung
Category
Traditional craftsmanship
Canton
Publications
Bildungs- und Beratungszentrum Arenenberg (Ed.): Kurzinformation über Obstbau im Thurgau. Stand 2008. Arenenberg, 2009
Hubert Frömelt: Die Entwicklung der thurgauischen Obstbaulandschaft im 19. und 20. Jahrhundert. In: Mitteilungen der Thurgauischen Naturforschenden Gesellschaft 44. Frauenfeld, 1981, p. 47-74.
Verena und Markus Füllemann, Alex Bänninger: Faites vos pommes. Eine Art Kulturgeschichte des Apfels. Wabern-Bern, 1997
Landwirtschaftsamt Thurgau, Bildungs- und Beratungszentrum Arenenberg (Ed.): Projekt «Zukunft Obstbau Thurgau». Frauenfeld, 2009
Urs Müller: Der Obstbau im Thurgau. In: Die Flurnamen des Kantons Thurgau. Einleitung und Etymologie (Thurgauer Namenbuch 2.1). Frauenfeld, 2007, p. 235 -249
Manfred Trächsel: Die Hochäcker der Nordostschweiz. Zürich, 1962
Links
Keywords
Contact
Bildungs- und Beratungszentrum Arenenberg
Bereich Obstbau
Arenenberg 8
8268
Salenstein