In Austria, apart from corn salads, hardly any organic vegetables are available during the winter from domestic production. As a result, most of the vegetables on sale are imported or grown through high-energy intensive production. To address this problem, a project has been developed called winter harvest: seasonal, energy-extensive and innovative vegetable production. this aims to raise the profile and strengthen the position of farmers who directly market vegetables, by supporting technical innovation in the production of winter vegetables using non-heated systems. As part of the process, the project focused on resource efficiency and climate protection to further develop winter growing that is in line with the organic principles. Offering winter vegetables using climate-friendly organic production methods during the winter months satisfies a growing consumer demand for such produce. The farmers are not only able to use their production facilities during winter, they can also continue their direct marketing for a longer period of the year and thereby increase the economic viability of their farms. The project was led by BIO AUSTRIA, the country’s organic farmers’ association, which was tasked with developing cultivation plans, procuring seeds, providing advisory services, documenting the process and establishing links between farmers and scientific institutions.