Relaxed, with a broad grin, Alex Demattio arrives at the apple orchard. The farm in Vadena, near Laives, is still registered under his father Klaus, but the handover has already been decided. However, it was not always planned this way.
When he was younger, Alex moved to the city to study. After five years in Vienna, he realised it wasn’t the right path for him. In 2019, he returned to the organic farm, which he now manages together with his father. They share a good relationship—more like a friendship than a typical father-son bond. In many ways, they see things the same way.
While working in the apple orchard—pruning, thinning or harvesting—the father-son duo often listens to audiobooks, podcasts or music – Drum 'n' Bass. It is important to them to work as sustainably as possible, maintain soil fertility, and produce high-quality apples. “I have learnt a great deal from my father,” says the young farmer. To balance things out, he plays football, is president of the youth centre in Laives, and is involved in the board of the cultural association “Hospiz.”
Alex is anything but the typical South Tyrolean apple farmer. He isn’t particularly interested in traditions, but he is passionate about youth culture in South Tyrol and travelling. In the winter, when there is less work on the farm, he and his father take turns going away, immersing themselves in distant cultures. This helps them maintain a good work-life balance despite—or precisely because of—the demanding work involved in running an apple orchard.