Even though kale doesn't necessarily need the frost these days, many consumers and growers will wait out the colder days and frosty nights for the vegetable to get the best flavor. Starting in September, the fast-growing collard greens are harvested, going well into the winter months of January and February.
The season officially opens on the first Sunday in November with the motto "Hello Kale" on the market square in Oldenburg, the "cabbage tour capital" of Germany. After last year these celebrations had to be cancelled due to the pandemic, this year a slimmed down program is planned for 7 November, with some booths as well as food and drinking possibilities, keeping Corona restrictions in mind.
Nearly 2,000 tons are planted each year - more than a tenth of all kale in all of Germany - in the Weser-Ems region around Oldenburg. In 2020, 7,571 tons of kale were grown in Lower Saxony alone, according to the Federal Statistical Office. Cabbage vegetables as a whole (broccoli, cauliflower, kale, etc.) were grown on 3,175 hectares. However, kale is harvested throughout Lower Saxony and marketed directly in the region.
Source: LPD