WHO ARE WE?

A cross-generational farm in the heart of Franconia that confronts itself with the challenges of climate change.

OUR PROJECT

The Schmidtlein family’s farm has been used less and less effectively over the generations. When Lilly Schmidtlein, who belongs to the youngest generation, moved into their grandparents’ house, she quickly recognized the untapped potential of the farm. In 2019, together with Lilly’s parents and her friend Cori, they started to fill the farm and the land that belongs to it with life again. This is how the idea of ​​a community farm was born. A place that combines regenerative agriculture with socio-cultural aspects and anchors it in the community. The project focuses on an ecologically sustainable life in the community and is therefore non-profit rather than profit-oriented.

PREVIOUS SUCCESSES

Our first success was the switch from conventional to organic farming. To this end, we stopped using pesticides from day 1, we have been paying attention to an improved circular economy and promoting soil, water and climate protection. With less use of machines and more mulch and green manure, the first step towards a better soil structure was taken. We also attach great importance to the build-up of humus through fertilization with biomass and the independent production of Terra-Preta. To promote biodiversity, mixed cultures, dead wood hedges, flowering meadows and an orchard meadow were created. There were also test fields and beds such as hill beds.

On a social level, we have started our first collaborations with international »workawayers«. Volunteers from all places such as France, Colombia, Switzerland and Australia came to us to live with us, to support us, to exchange experiences with us and to spread our newly acquired knowledge into the world.

OUR GOALS

In the future we would like to invest in the socio-cultural aspect in particular. For this purpose, we want to turn the old barns on our community farm into a culture and lodging barn and a seminar room in order to create spaces for participation for young and old.

In the field of agriculture, we would like to literally ‘produce’ a piece of home with a stronger regional self-sufficiency. To this end, we want to combine innovative agricultural methods and new scientific findings with tried and tested cultivation methods from all over the world. The goal is sustainable agriculture that takes active measures against climate change.

OUR CONCEPT

Sustainable living together – “der Gemeinschaftshof” the community farm

In the course of worsening climate change, we see sustainability as a holistic concept, in the sense of which we want to use the diverse potential of agriculture.

We manage and use resources carefully and sustainably on our farm. In this way, ecologically innovative projects are to be developed in cooperation with research institutions in order to be able to assume a role model function for a sustainable integration of life and agriculture.

We not only want to give nature the opportunity to regenerate, but also support people in developing their potential for development. We focus on advancing every individual through education for sustainable development for a healthy lifestyle, strengthening the body and mind, conscious consumption and a healthy diet.

In order to enable an ecologically sustainable life in the community, we would like to not only allow interested parties to participate in the agricultural operation. In addition, rooms are to be made available that support the communal character of the project. We would like to offer a culture and lodging barn for culinary and socio-cultural events and a seminar room for a holistic educational offer.

More information – only German