SHORT DESCRIPTION: The old-established farm Mertin is situated in the suburb of Grevel, which is embedded in the green belt of Dortmund and it is part of the regional park “Emscher Landschaftspark” (ELP). The park connects 20 cities of Metropolis Ruhr by green open spaces. The area can be characterized as a post-industrial, urban patchwork landscape including forestry, cropland, meadows, (urbanised) villages and suburbs, industrial sites, traffic and energy infrastructure, etc.. Former mining activities are still visible: Old coal miner’s settlements, heaps, air ducts and mining-related surface drops.
HOF MERTIN is a commercial, profit-oriented farm, which also offers educational services. The farm property and about 30 ha of farmland belong to the farmer’s family, while the remaining 90 hectares are leased from different owners like the city, industries, former or part-time farmers.
KEY ACTIVITIES: In total, Mertin conventionally cultivates about 120 ha with diverse crops besides fattening bulls. The bulls are a remaining activity of the old farm before they started to adjust to the urban conditions by high-value production and direct marketing. About 20 years ago, the farm started with strawberries and is now cultivating about 40 ha of it. Further produce include apples (ca. 3 ha), pumpkins, first trials with table grapes as well as rapeseed, wheat, silage corn (for bull fattening) and grassland. The farm also offers gardening plots for rent, via a franchise company. Many products – especially strawberries and apples from the own production – but also products from other farms are sold in the farm shop. Other services Mertin offers are “pick-your-own” strawberry fields and education courses for school and kindergarten kids.
RELEVANT DIMENSION: Professional rather large-scaled farm, direct marketing, strawberries, apples, peri-urban, diversification
BUSINESS MODELS: Cost efficiency (low cost, bulk production)
Bönninghauser Str. 5, 44329 Dortmund, DE
