Ø-Grønt
Our organic vegetables from Agernæs Øko — sold under the Ø-Grønt name.
Organic
A natural choice
Organic products are today a natural choice for many consumers, and our retail customers are asking for organic produce. That is why in 2016 we founded Agernæs Øko together with Ole Lawaetz Olesen of Agernæs, so we can offer our customers organic products — both vegetables and meat. In 2018 a small production of lettuce, onions and peas began on the Agernæs peninsula and on Helnæs, and from 2019 we went all in with larger-scale production for the major Danish supermarket chains.
Today more than 500 hectares have been converted to organic farming, and Agernæs Øko sells all its vegetables through the sales company Ø-Grønt. The area is stunningly located right by the coast, with an authentic story to match the produce — many customers want to know where their vegetables come from.
Growing
Hand-harvested with care
The vast majority of the organic vegetables are harvested manually — hand-cut or hand-picked — and prepared and packed at Torup Bakkegård. Agernæs Øko draws on Torup Bakkegård & Orelund's staff for preparation, harvesting, packing and sales. Alongside the vegetables, Agernæs Øko produces around 6,000 organic pigs per year, providing much of the fertiliser for the vegetable production. The meat is slaughtered, processed and distributed mainly through Danish Crown, which sets high standards for animal welfare.
Each crop has its own growing method: cabbage, lettuce and some of the onions are planted out as seedlings with planting machines, while hokkaido squash and peas, for example, are sown directly. Cabbage and lettuce take up the most space — in both land and labour — and we aim for crops on equal areas to maintain a good crop rotation. The organic fields can be irrigated. Organic growing brings its challenges: pea seeds may not be treated, so some peas can rot in the soil, and weed control is limited, which can mean plenty of manual weeding.
Agernæs Øko was founded by Ole Lawaetz Olesen and the brothers Jacob B. Jacobsen and Claus B. Jacobsen, who own Torup Bakkegård & Orelund. The partnership creates plenty of synergy: customers can get both conventional and organic products, everything is packed at Torup Bakkegård, and the finished pallets leave from the same address.
The range
From celery to hokkaido
The organic range includes pointed cabbage (green and red), white cabbage, red cabbage, broccoli, little gem lettuce (green and red), romaine lettuce, celery, yellow and red onions, peas and hokkaido squash. You will find the products in the major Danish supermarket chains and in our own farm shop.