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Fred Loimer on regenerative farming: “every step you take will cause a reaction”

Biodynamic pioneer Fred Loimer hasn’t simply incorporated regenerative farming into his Langenlois vineyards. He’s created the Loimer Forum-Regenerative to share knowledge, ideas and more across the land – and communities – of Austria’s Kamptal region.

“Just as the farmer needs tools to cultivate the soil, the social farmers – by which I mean all of us – also need tools and practices that allow us to cultivate the quality of the social soil,” explains winemaker Fred Loimer. “By which we mean the quality of our relationships, and the quality of our awareness that we are operating from.”

Regenerative farming can be a nebulous concept to explain, spanning, as it does, so many parts of work, life and land. But that’s not the sort of challenge to discourage Fred Loimer. After taking over his family’s vineyards in 1997, Fred soon made waves on the Austrian wine scene for ageing his Grüner Veltliner in barriques and, in 2000, for commissioning a minimalist black cube as a new tasting room atop an old, hand-dug loess cellar – a new sort of sight among the local vineyards.

In 2006, Fred began working biodynamically in his six Erste Lagen vineyards across the small but revered Kamptal region, in Lower Austria. He quickly became a champion for the movement, co-founding the respekt-BIODYN collective the following year.

“From then on we steadily developed our system, one step at a time,” he says. “New ideas and new practices emerge all the time. It’s a journey and a trial-and-error system, with a highly emotional part.”

Fred finds regenerative agriculture to be a natural progression from biodynamics.

“For me, all practices that focus on the main resources, which are the interactions of the farmer with soil and biodiversity, are based more or less on the “Agriculture Course” of Rudolf Steiner from 1924,” he says. “And this course, in turn, is based on a holistic way of thinking and living. Many forms of farming have evolved from that course and are based on the understanding that nature is a complex system. For us, the course is an inspiration to our way of thinking and not just a manual or guideline to farming.”

Regenerative farming today

Is there an easy way of describing regenerative farming?

“Is it a new term? A new way of cultivating the land? One might ask. I personally would see it as a holistic way of thinking in a very complex system – which nature is.”

What does it mean for you in practice?

“First of all, you operate following a precautionary principle approach: in any complex system, every step you take or measure you make will show or cause a reaction. What we often can’t evaluate is the extent of the effect on the complex system. Hence why the second principle is just as important: “think twice before you act!” Which in practice translates to:

“In the vineyards – grow what grows best in/on your place, aim to raise biodiversity, care about soil-life, care about the environment as a whole.

“As humans – be wide awake in your observations, create awareness and develop sound judgement. Also find a balance between manual and technical work; pay an enormous amount of attention to detail and the effects of your actions on the whole environment.”

„Biodynamic cultivation of the land is a mindset – not a way of working but a way of thinking and living.“

Do you employ these principles in all your vineyards, or only some?

“In biodynamic farming, at the very core of the philosophy is the human being – it’s not just about applying new tools and practices. So it’s not like in conventional farming, where you can work one vineyard in this way and the next in a completely different way. Biodynamic cultivation of the land is actually a mindset! It’s not a way of working but a way of thinking and living.”

Does regenerative farming create more work?

“YES! But more meaningful work. A work with purpose!”

What’s the benefit?

“Good health and wellbeing for human beings as well as for the cultured land and the whole environment.”

What do you wish people understood about regenerative farming?

“It is the only way of cultivating land which will have a future and create a future. Life in an ecological context is rooted in soil. Farming has to go beyond sustainability and aim for regeneration. And that is exactly what regenerative farming does.”

What are the tools available for learning about it?

“Awareness! That’s the most important tool.”

Can you taste the difference in the resulting wines?

“Yes, and it is a great outcome. You can taste and feel the difference: one can sense the liveliness, vibrancy, harmony, clarity and precision. I think you can taste the purpose of the work.”

The Loimer Forum-Regenerative

The Loimer Forum-Regenerative is a recent project encouraging friends, colleagues and neighbours to join forces and share ideas, insights and developments on all relevant topics. Through masterclasses, virtual “deep-dives” and community gatherings, the goal is to create conversation and develop everyone’s understanding of what will help the vines – of course — but also the land more broadly, social cohesion and more.

“In the Forum-Regenerative, we are inviting people we are working and partnering with from all industries and disciplines, and people from all walks and talks of life, so that together we can cultivate diversity to create a regenerative way of engaging with and creating a future for us all,” Fred tells us.

“We will focus on regenerative biodynamic viticulture and farming as well as many other applications of regenerative thinking and acting. So, actually we would love to hear from anyone who would like to make a contribution. The Forum-Regenerative will offer space to engage in person as well as virtually.”

By Star Wine List | Published 28-October-2025

https://starwinelist.com/wine-story/fred-loimer-on-regenerative-farming-every-step-you-take-will-cause