Field Trip 4

The field trip will introduce the participants to different approaches to farming and food supply systems which have resulted out of historically very different situations but all approach the concept of resilience.
This excursion will introduce us to the region north/north-west of Berlin. This part of the federal state of Brandenburg is characterized by low rainfalls, predominantly poor soils and early summer droughts. Despite abundant surface waters agriculture is therefore expected to be particularly affected by climate change.
A high share of the land area dedicated to natural parks, a national park and the UNESCO Man Biosphere Reserve Schorfheide-Chorin has fostered the development of organic farming in this region. Two of the farms visited are run organically.

Eco-village Brodowin - Paradise fruits for millions?

One of the farms in Biosphere Reserve Schorfheide-Chorin is the „Eco-village Brodowin“, Germany’s largest biodynamic farm (1,400 ha). With 85 permanent employees and 30 seasonal workers the enterprise consists of a range of branches. The farm itself, with a wide range of arable crops, vegetables and forages, a dairy herd, a milk goat herd and laying hens, as well as an organic dairy processing own cows and goats milk as well as milk from other farms to a wide range of dairy products. All produce is marketed via a farm shop, farmers markets, a box-scheme to the greater region of Berlin (4,5 Mio. inhabitants) and through a supra-regionally operating wholesaler. In total “Eco-village Brodowin” has an annual turnover of approx. 9 Mio Euro. Around 50.000 visitors to the farm each year learn about organic farming and the origin of their food. In addition to food production the enterprise is engaged in a range of innovation projects (e.g. as partner of the “Network Study Partner Organic Farm” of the University for Sustainable Development Eberswalde or the INKA BB project for developing climate adaptive farming systems) (Source: http://www.brodowin.de/)

Eden – a living earth

The „Vegetarian fruit growing colony” („Vegetarische Obstbaukolonie Eden e.G.m.b.H.“) was founded in 1893 in Oranienburg north of Berlin, with the aim to introduce farming to the urban population. Around the same time, driven also by the founders of Eden, the first “Reformhäuser” were established in Germany. This lead to a widespread distribution of the vegetarian movement and a critical reflection of food production, from which the organic farming movement also benefited (Source: www.eden-eg.de/).

Farmers’ garden – an urban paradise?

Farmers’ gardens originally were part of the subsistence strategy of farming families. Adapted to modern life styles the initiative “Farmers’ garden” (“Bauerngarten”) has set up an urban gardening project in the metropolitan area of Berlin. Traditional elements like geometric seedbeds or mixed cultivation of flowers, vegetables and medicinal plants, herbs and spices are revived and participants are sensibilised for natural processes. The founders of “Farmers garden” consider the concept an appropriate means for increasing food sovereignty in urban areas (Source: http://www.bauerngarten.net/)