Otto Knaus

In the vineyard, Otto Knaus favours natural pest control. It is important to him to provide sufficient habitats for wildlife in order to maintain a natural balance between pests and beneficial organisms. Otto Knaus mows the strips of meadow between the vines alternately, i.e. every second row is mowed at different times. He mows the meadow orchard gently with a bar mower and higher than usual. Scattered throughout his vineyards are individual large bird cherry, hazel and walnut trees. This means that there are always flowering or seed-bearing plants on his farm that can serve as food for birds and insects. Knaus has created his own biotopes for reptiles, amphibians and birds. He is particularly fond of snakes. Smooth snakes, grass snakes, Aesculapian snakes, slow-worms and other reptiles such as green lizards find warm shelter in specially constructed snake nests. As chairman of Naturpark Spezialitäten Südsteiermark, Otto Knaus is committed to ensuring that other farms enable more biodiversity on their farms.