It all began with Johannes Gutmann being from the Waldviertel and wanting to stay that way. The usual path in the 80s - away from the country and towards the city - was not his thing at all. On the contrary, Hannes wanted to work and live in the Waldviertel.
Black and white photo of farmer Zdenek. Above it is the saying - 1000 herbs have grown to combat unemployment. | © SONNENTOR
From the Waldviertel, for the Waldviertel.
Taking over the Gutmann farm was not an option for him. He wanted to take new paths that would benefit not only him, but also the region. Above all, the farmers who were fighting for economic survival. Many converted their farms to monoculture because that was how it was done back then. Gutmann thought there had to be another way. He was particularly sorry about the wonderful herbs that grew in the fields, which were pulled out and thrown away.
Organic from the start.
Johannes was already a passionate organic advocate when the word "organic" didn't even exist. In the 1980s, people generally didn't think much about food - where it came from, what was in it or how it was grown - "yeah, eh". However, Gutmann had a feeling that organic was the best way for health, the environment and our future. And so he had a brilliant idea.
An idea that was neither welcomed with open arms nor enthusiasm. Selling regional organic products together under the roof of the laughing sun - an old Waldviertel symbol? His "crazy idea" was laughed at in 1988. So the 23-year-old went from farmer's market to farmer's market as a one-man company with his herbs and soon became a "colorful character". In addition to the first-class organic products, his trademarks - decades-old leather trousers and round red glasses - helped him to make his breakthrough.
"Soon everyone in the region knew me as the weirdo with the leather trousers and word of mouth made my small business known and increasingly interesting."
