The number of farms has been declining steadily for years. From 2010 to 2020, according to data from the State Statistical Office, 2700 farmers in Hesse closed their farm gates forever, and the total number of farms fell from 17,800 to 15,100. The Bickert family from Bruchenbrücken, a district of Friedberg, is the tenth generation to run one of these smaller farms. In order to make their business fit for the future, they are taking an unusual approach: they are relying on legumes.

The idea came to Albert Bickert after a call from a university friend from Canada, who told him about the chickpea cultivation there. Bickert, who studied agricultural economics, quickly thought: If the peas grow there, why not here? So, in 2018, the family began growing so-called edible legumes – legumes that are intended for human consumption and not as animal feed.

This is because valuable ingredients, such as a high protein content, make legumes a kind of superfood. In addition, the current trends towards vegetarian and vegan diets are increasing the demand for regionally produced legumes, which is an interesting niche market for many farmers. This is also the case for the Bickert family. "In the first year, we still harvested by hand," recalls Constanze Bickert, Albert's sister, who is responsible for marketing the products.

In the meantime, they know that legumes can also be harvested with combine harvesters. "When experienced people operate the machines," says Katja Bickert, mother of Constanze and Albert and also a specialist. In order to learn even more about cultivation, Albert, who advises farms as his main job, flew to Turkey. There they have the experience needed to successfully grow legumes.

Chickpeas love hot summers

The Bickerts cultivate a total of almost 60 hectares of land, of which legumes are now grown on 18 hectares, especially light and dark chickpeas. The latter taste nuttier than their more common lighter counterpart and are often used for curries, less for creamy processing into hummus. Wheat and sugar beet grow on the remaining area.

The fact that legumes are becoming more interesting for farmers in this country also has to do with climate change: chickpeas benefit from hotter and hotter summers and less rain in the warmer months because they love exactly these conditions. In the meantime, the Bickert family also offers the light and brown chickpeas online via a shop that is still to be expanded.

Their range also includes red emmer and black beans. They also offer black and brown as well as green lentils, which are also sold as peeled variants, then as red and yellow lentils. Peeling is also done on the farm. The Bickerts do not have the same high-tech equipment at their disposal as the supermarkets. That's why there are still some shell residues in her lentils, which "provide a little more bite," as Constanze Bickert says. In return, however, the customer also gets an authentic product from the local supplier. The Bickerts have also experimented with dry rice, saying that this variety needs heat during cultivation and not as much water as others. But they've since dropped the project, which doesn't mean they don't want to try again in the future.