Hans-Jürgen Müller
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Organic farm and green local and national politics
International flair and cosmopolitanism
When the decision was made at the beginning of 1978 that I wanted to continue my agricultural training with a university degree after completing my apprenticeship, there were several reasons that spoke in favor of Witzenhausen as a place to study. I wanted the course to be practical and provide me with new perspectives and insights after my experiences on my parents' farm and in the training company. However, the environment was also a decisive factor in my choice of study location. When I first visited Witzenhausen, I was immediately fascinated by the international flair and the open-mindedness associated with it. At that time, organic farming was still a marginal topic. The first chair for organic farming was only established when I had finished my studies. During the semester breaks, I initially worked for a contractor and applied pesticides. But the driving forces behind the move towards organic farming were already at work and I soon joined them. The influence of Prof. Engelhard Boehncke was formative for me and many others in this direction. My interest in agricultural policy was also fueled in Witzenhausen. Onno Poppinga and Götz Schmidt from the Kassel Department of Landscape Planning were not innocent in this. In general, I felt it was a great advantage to study at the then very progressive Kassel University of Applied Sciences with its broad range of courses.
Gut Fahrenbach - the largest organic farm in the town of Witzenhausen
After an interlude as a community service volunteer at the Kassel student union in Witzenhausen, I decided that my professional future did not lie on my parents' farm, but in a new project fed by the ideas I had taken with me from my studies in Witzenhausen. Together with two other fellow students, we set up an organic farm on Gut Fahrenbach with 53 hectares of land and developed it into a successful project over 35 years. So successful that we were able to hand over this farm, which has now quadrupled in size, to two Witzenhausen graduates at the end of 2017.
Involvement in politics and organic associations
During this time, we not only developed the business together, but also helped to shape our social environment in a variety of ways. I myself volunteered in local politics in Witzenhausen, in the town council and magistrate. Later, I joined the Bioland Association, both at state and national level, and even later I was managing director and chairman of the Organic Farming Association in Hesse, the umbrella organization for organic farming associations in Hesse. This meant that we not only accompanied and helped shape the development of organic farming on the farm, but also in our association work.
Cooperation between court and university
The fact that our farm was so close to Witzenhausen turned out to be a great advantage. Our farm was much sought after as an internship and training farm by students from Witzenhausen because we have always maintained a close relationship with the university. A very good cooperation developed with the first experimental farm for organic farming in Neu-Eichenberg and we participated in numerous experiments and research projects of the Department of Organic Agricultural Sciences.
I got to know many agricultural engineers trained in Witzenhausen, particularly through my work in and with the organic farming associations, and found that the training in Witzenhausen has developed very well. The decision to focus on organic agricultural sciences in teaching and research in Witzenhausen at an early stage and for the long term was extremely important for the location. Those responsible can only be congratulated on this step.
Relatively late, but equipped with a lot of professional and life experience, my professional life changed once again at the age of 62. Not least because of my commitment to agricultural policy, I was elected to the Hessian state parliament for the B90/Greens. There I am now trying to stand up for my agricultural policy goals in another important position. And in my regional office in Witzenhausen, how could it be otherwise, a graduate of the Department of Organic Agricultural Sciences from Witzenhausen is now also working.
Comments
Saro Gerd Ratter: Thank you for this interesting article and congratulations on your great career! Since last year I have also been a volunteer in local politics as a town councillor and biodiversity officer. Best regards from Weilheim i.OB.
Christian Röser: This article - like all the others - is really very inspiring. What leads me to this comment is the fact that someone here actively represents the ideas and values that we share as Witzenhausen residents in politics. In these turbulent times for society, but also for politicians, this really is a hopeful sign! We need more of them to shape our future not only in our actions in agriculture, business and society, but also in our politics. Best wishes and good luck!