Operating changeover

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Planning an ecological farm concept

Targets

In this module, 5 - 10 students work together with a farm over the course of a year to produce a farm analysis and, based on this, a comprehensive farm concept for crop production, animal husbandry and economics. This can be a conversion from conventional to organic farming, as well as the establishment of a new farm or the optimization of an existing organic farm.

Since 1984, project planning has been carried out for over 150 farms. Most of these farms are located within a radius of 200 km from Witzenhausen.

Click on the map to see the companies with which we worked on the conversion project

Interdisciplinary work on a case study

Based on a specific farm, the student project groups learn to apply their specialist knowledge in a completely new, concrete and networked way: e.g. soil science, crop rotation, nutrient flows, animal husbandry, business management and marketing. The project group works together as a team for three quarters of a year, produces a detailed written report at the end and presents its results publicly to the faculty. During the collaboration, intensive communication takes place with each other and with the people on the farm.

Results

The students particularly praise the high practical relevance of the project. It also shows that the learning success depends in particular on the cooperation within the group and with the farm managers. The plant managers are also very satisfied with the cooperation. A number of suggestions from the students' plans have been implemented in full or in part.