- Obsthof Raddatz is a family-run fruit farm in Stade, Germany, 32 hectares of pome fruit orchards with direct-from-farm sales and a hands-on approach to modern fruit growing.
- Hans-Jürgen and Michael Raddatz use Farmable on iPad to manage spray records, daily tasks, field notes, and hours tracking across the orchard.
- EU mandatory digital spray records come into force for German fruit growers from 1 January 2027. Obsthof Raddatz is already there.
Obsthof Raddatz is a family-run fruit farm in Stade in the Hamburg Metropolitan Region of northern Germany. The farm covers around 32 hectares of orchard production, focused primarily on pome fruit, apples at its core, with a direct sales operation that connects the farm closely to its local community.
Hans-Jürgen and Michael Raddatz run the business with the practical, modern approach that defines it: high standards in the orchard, clear-eyed about the tools that make complex operations manageable.
Farmable in daily orchard practice
The Raddatz team uses Farmable on iPad, working through the app’s core functions as part of their regular daily routine across the orchard.
The workflow moves through four areas:
Spray management. Spray jobs are planned, assigned, and recorded directly in Farmable. Products, rates, equipment settings, and field locations are all logged at the time of application, creating a spray diary automatically, without manual re-entry at the end of the day.
Work tasks. Daily jobs across the orchard are created and tracked in the app. The team can see what has been assigned, what is in progress, and what has been completed, giving the farm manager a clear picture of the day’s work without chasing updates.
Field notes. Observations made in the orchard, whether a pest sighting, a crop condition, or a follow-up task, are recorded instantly with GPS location. Notes are shareable with the team, keeping everyone working from the same information.
Hours tracking. Time spent on individual tasks and fields is logged directly in the app, giving the farm a clear record of labour input per area and per job, useful for understanding costs and productivity across the season.
Prepared for Germany’s digital record-keeping requirement
EU mandatory digital spray record keeping comes into force across all member states from 1 January 2027. For German fruit growers still managing records on paper or in spreadsheets, the deadline is approaching.
Obsthof Raddatz is already running on digital records. The transition is complete, the data is building, the compliance documentation is automatic, and there is nothing left to scramble to put in place before the requirement hits.
Watch the walkthrough
The Raddatz team filmed a short walkthrough of how they use Farmable across the orchard operation, from spray management and task tracking to field notes and hours. It’s a practical look at what digital farm management looks like in day-to-day use on a German pome fruit farm.
Video credit: Obsthof Raddatz · YouTube channel
Frequently asked questions
Can Farmable be used on an iPad in the orchard?
Yes. Farmable runs on iPad as well as iPhone and Android. Obsthof Raddatz uses iPad as their primary device for day-to-day orchard management, recording spray jobs, tasks, observations, and hours directly from the field.
Are digital spray records becoming mandatory for German fruit farms?
Yes. EU mandatory digital spray record keeping comes into force on 1 January 2027 across all member states including Germany. Growers who adopt Farmable now build their compliant record base before the deadline.
What features of Farmable does Obsthof Raddatz use?
The Raddatz team uses Farmable for spray job planning and recording, daily work task management, GPS-tagged field notes, and team hours tracking, covering the core of day-to-day orchard administration from a single app.
Is Farmable available in German?
Yes. Farmable is available in German and is used by fruit growers across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The interface, product library, and customer support are all available in German.