WESTHOF-BIO cycle

Nothing is wasted in the Westhof-Bio cycle

Our aim is to give back to nature just as much as is taken. In order to be able to create neutral energy, the Westhof Bio Group relies on a symbiotic energy and nutrient cycle.

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The fresh vegetable market

The vegetables sorted out during processing are used efficiently by means of fermentation in the biogas plant.  Read more

Production of frozen produce

Cold produces heat: The organic deep-freezing facility which belongs to the company as well, deep-freezes vegetables and generates heat out of this process. To prevent the heat from being wasted, in the near future it will be used to heat the greenhouse.Read more

Agriculture

The agriculture supplies the sales and marketing division and the deep-freezing facility with vegetables. Clover grass and flowering field cuttings from the crop rotation are used in the biogas plant. Read more

Greenhouse

Tomatoes are loaded with energy The greenhouse for growing organic vegetables delivers its sun-drenched tomatoes straight from harvest to our sales and marketing division. Sorted out tomatoes are also used in the biogas plant. Read more

Energy

Natural fertiliser No additional arable land is necessary for ´feeding´ the biogas plant. The biomass remaining after fermentation into biogas is a natural fertiliser and can be spread on the soils. Gas is generated into electricity Heat is also produced during the conversion of biogas to electrici-ty in the CHP unit (combined heat and power unit). This heat will soon be used in the deep-freezing facility for blanching the vege-tables. The exhaust from the CHP unit contains CO2 and is used as well. The CO2 is first cleaned and then piped to the greenhouse to help the delicious organic tomatoes grow.. Read more

Our energy and sustainability cycle allows us to take a big step towards the future to realize our goals and visions. With the combination of our organic vegetables, our biogas plant, our CHP unit as well as with our organic greenhouse, we have developed a symbiotic energy and sustainability cycle: Our agriculture produces organic vegetables which we deliver to the sales and marketing division as well as to the deep-freezing facility. In addition, the freezing facility receives vegetables from other organic vegetable growers of the fresh produce market. An essential part of our crop rotation consists of clover-grass/flowering fields. They serve as green manure, help us to improve our soil quality and weed control as well as to increase agro-biodiversity.

In our biogas plant we use biological ferments only. Suitable substrates are clover-grass/flowering fields and non- marketable vegetables from the fresh produce division, freezing facility and agriculture. Our special concern is to integrate the biogas plant supply, which is covered by our agricultural products, into our crop rotation to avoid monoculture and competition with food production. That signifies that we do not need additional farmland to feed the organic biogas plant. All of our resources will be used in our energy and sustainability cycle so that only high-quality products leave our cycle.

The organic biogas plant provides two high-quality products: organic fertiliser and biogas. The organic fertiliser will be used selectively on our fields and in the greenhouse to increase profit. The biogas converted into electricity is fed into the CHP unit. And the produced heat (ca. 95-98°C) is necessary in our freezing facility to blanch the vegetables before deep-freezing. The waste heat (ca. 50- 60°C) from the freezing process is used for ground and vegetation heating in our greenhouse. The C02 exhaust from the CHP unit is purified and used as a fertilizer to produce tasty tomatoes.

SUSTAINABILITY

Sustainability means assuming an ecological, social and economical responsibility and taking an active role in planning the future. It´s about:

  • Dealing with our employees, business partners, customers and stakeholders in a fair and responsible manner,
  • Supporting the individual needs of our employees
  • Communicating and cooperating successfully
  • Producing and using renewable energies
  • Increasing resource productivity
  • Promoting sustainable organic farming
  • Biogas operation without competing with food production
  • Increasing biodiversity
  • Extending the regional vegetable supply
  • Maintaining visions without losing track of reality
  • Allowing innovations without fearing changes
  • Overcoming difficulties while focusing on our goals at all times

Sustainability is a world trip, not a city trip. Integrating sustainability in all of our lines of business is an important element of our organization.

QUALITY

Our quality concept

Quality plays a major role – not only in our product quality but also in all of our processes: starting from seed to processing through packaging up to storage and transport. We check and improve our process chain continuously. Highest quality can only be reached by a professionally qualified staff, for whom we set regular training as our highest priority and in addition, we advocate transparency and a consistently high level of information.

Our quality management

We produce and process organic only. We guarantee organic production and traceability. We demand the highest level of freshness, good taste and hygiene. Due to our quality management system we continually achieve high product quality. Quality checks and regular inspections by independent laboratories ensure a maximum of product safety – from the farmer´s field to processing throughout delivery.

COMMITMENT

OUR COMMITMENT

We produce and process organic only. We guarantee organic production and traceability. We demand the highest level of freshness, good taste and hygiene. Due to our quality management system we continually achieve high product quality. Quality checks and regular inspections by independent laboratories en-sure a maximum of product safety – from the farmer´s field to processing throughout delivery. Every year we participate in the series of events “Stiftungsland – Genießerland” and invite people to become acquainted with our products and company. We gladly support “AWO”, the German Worker’s Welfare Association, through vegetable donations for the needy.

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BEST ORGANIC QUALITY - SIGNED AND SEALED

Best organic quality – signed and sealed

Our mission is to produce high-quality and tasty products that deserve the designation “victuals” – foodstuffs for life.

We meet the strict requirements of the BIOLAND association, we are entitled to the EC-Eco-Seal and we produce in compliance with the GLOBALG.A.P standards.

We are particularly proud to have won the “Förderpreis Ökologischer Landbau” award (annual incentive prize for organic farming) in 2014 as well as the Ceres Award for organic farming in 2015.

You will find our certificates here.

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