A yellow, lush and buzzing sea of blossoms will be seen for the first time by cyclists and motorists who are currently on the road in the industrial area of Ungerhausen. Along the Gutenbergstraße Andreas Müller has planted the marbled silphia on more than 15,000 square meters in the direct vicinity of his company’s location, the CO2-neutral and energy self-sufficient “Green Factory”. This is now on the verge of its heyday.
There is a buzzing sound that makes the heart of every nature lover beat faster in times of bee mortality: “How it swarms here! It’s a real pleasure.” The Managing Director of the Alois Müller Group sees countless insects: Bees, bumblebees, butterflies and countless other insects are among the regulars in his field. An important point with regard to the acute death of insects is that silphyia blooms abundantly between July and September in times of flower shortage, thus becoming a romping place for honey bees, wild bees and all kinds of other insects. And not to forget: Its bright yellow beauty makes it an attractive addition to the sometimes distinctive monoculture.
In this way, the entrepreneur not only focuses on sustainable and ecological concepts in the field of energy and building technology, but also sets an example in other areas with the cultivation of the Silphie. “Especially as an owner-managed family business, we are aware of our entrepreneurial responsibility for future generations and try to create a sustainable corporate culture and implement this again and again with various actions. The Silphie field is another piece in the mosaic,” explains Müller. In the following years, the silphy plants will be harvested and used in the biogas plant of the Karrer family from Woringen.