The Ried, a place to meet
MARKET GARDENING
To the east of Hoerdt, heading towards the Wantzenau, there is a large marshy area called the Ried. This land is drained by numerous small ditches which keep the soil very moist and cool, even in the hottest summers, and is ideal for growing vegetables.
The flood areas are mostly covered by meadows. The locals take advantage of this fertile land to plant a variety of vegetables such as onions, tomatoes, radishes, leeks, celery, cabbage, beans, potatoes, peas and corn. They harvest them for their own use or as extra income by selling the surplus directly to the market or by delivering them to local wholesalers – Krembe – or the cooperative.
The cultivations are primarily family-owned. The Ried has become a mosaic of flowering vegetable plots where men and women of all ages come to tend their gardens. To the south and west of the village, the land
is cultivated on larger plots by the bigger farms.
Family farming is gradually being transformed into agricultural holdings.