In a story to warm the heart: a farmer in Canton Bern who couldn’t pick his carrots in time was left overjoyed, as hundreds of locals showed up to help harvest the crop. Up to 100 tons of carrots could be saved because of their hard work.
The recent poor weather in Switzerland hasn't only scuppered the plans of tourists headed to the mountains - the wet conditions have also made it near-impossible to harvest vegetables. Bernese farmer Adrian Rothenbühler told 20 minuten that the ground at his farm in Utzenstorf was far too wet and that he couldn't use the machines needed to harvest the 100 tons of carrots that were left in the ground.
Without the carrots picked, the farmer would be unable to claim the expense of the harvest from the government, or plant the next crop, meaning a big hole in his finances. Desperate, and with time running out, the man reached out to the local community, offering free carrots if people came and picked them themselves.
Luckily, the residents of the canton answered. Not long after the call was made, Rothenbühler said “there was a rush for my carrots, it’s insane how many people we had in our field.” He said that at one point, more than 80 drivers were parked near the field, ready to pick their share of the almost-lost crop.
“It was a constant coming and going. It was just amazing for us. I estimate that around 20 to 25 tons are already gone," Rothenbühler noted. “The solidarity is incredible. When I thought I couldn't get rid of these carrots, it was a huge burden, I thought the reward for all my hard work had slipped through my fingers."
For those who are interested, there are still a fair few carrots left to pick, and the farmer said they will only start to rot once the temperature drops below minus seven degrees for several days. When asked what he would grow next, Rothenbühler said he would "sow carrots again…I won’t let [the harvest] get me down. That's how it is for farmers. Nature just wasn't kind to us this year."