Tinkering and experimenting on the Event Farm
Making seed bombs, answering quiz questions, extracting banana DNA. Action is the order of the day at the Event Farm in Hall 3.2: there's lots to learn and do.
Take a ride on a tractor. Or a combine harvester. At the Event Farm in Hall 3.2, this is possible at several stations. At least on the simulator. The German Farmers' Association (DBV) has set up a Tenstar agricultural machinery simulator, which is used to train farmers in real life. Visitors will be able to try it out during Grüne Woche. The agricultural scouts on the opposite side of the hall also have a simulator with them. A middle-aged man is sitting at it and is currently trying to bring in the harvest on a virtual field. “The reel is raised too high!” warns the software on the screen.
Observe closely
Yes, farming has become quite complicated. “As agricultural scouts, we want to educate people about modern farming and contrast this picture-book romanticism that many people still have in their heads with our everyday lives,” says Matti Rönn, whose mother Monika will be reporting on the realities of farming as an agricultural scout on stage at the Event Farm over the next few days. Mini farms with two pigs, a few cows and some arable farming are simply no longer viable. Agriculture today is highly specialized, works with state-of-the-art technology, often including artificial intelligence - and still remains close to nature, especially in organic farming, of course. “Since we switched to organic farming in 2016, it's even nicer to work because you have to observe nature much more closely,” says Monika Rönne.
“Thank you for bringing agriculture to the city,” said Federal Minister of Agriculture Cem Özdemir at the opening of the Event Farm. “Even in some villages, there are no longer any farms. A piece of home is being lost.” This makes it all the more important for the industry to showcase itself at Grüne Woche and also make it clear to city dwellers: “Cows are not climate sinners”, said Özdemir, but as a livestock supplier of dairy products or meat and also important for alpine pasture care.
“The Event Farm is a place for dialogue,” said Lea Fliess, Managing Director of the Forum Moderne Landwirtschaft, which organizes the hall together with 70 partners. Sustainability and food security are currently the most pressing challenges facing the agricultural sector. “We want to discuss how we can shape change together.”
Learning while doing
There are four themed trails in the hall - “Animal”, “Technology”, “Soil” and “Nature” - which present the various aspects of modern agriculture - from species-appropriate animal husbandry to drones and digital tools to erosion control. Those who explore everything by scavenger hunt will receive a collector's cup and a refreshing drink at the end.
Participation is encouraged and the choice is huge. At the Gatersleben Green Laboratory, you can look at soil samples, pollen, thunderbolts or sea urchin spines under the microscope or isolate DNA from a banana. At the European Commission stand, there is a puzzle quiz wheel for adults and compost for children to take home. At the Agrarscouts you can make cherry-sized seed bombs from soil, water, cat litter and seeds to take home - with sunflowers, mustard and alfalfa for balconies or flower pots.
