During my recent trip to southern Germany, I was able to see first hand how local food production can be a cultural and ecological endeavour. The urban agriculture model in Germany seems to prioritise balancing economic, cultural, and ecological considerations, which is something that is still in the early stages of development in Australia. While the region in Germany that I visited is known for its traditional agriculture, some aspects of it differed significantly from the commercial agriculture practices found in Australia. These differences demonstrate that countries like Australia can learn from the past and use it to evolve their own approaches to urban agriculture.
Location
March-Buchheim is a small village located near the city of Freiburg in southern Germany. The surrounding area is known for its diverse agriculture, including fruit tree growing, grain cultivation, vegetable and herb production, sheep and pig farming, and dairy goat breeding. Despite being densely populated with a significant amount of industry, the region has a lot of open space, much of which is used for farming. This type of land use intensity is common in Europe, but not typically seen in Australia.
Land access
There is a significant difference in the way that land is accessed for agriculture between Germany and Australia. In Germany, land designated for agricultural use is preserved for that purpose and does not become a speculative financial asset as it often does in Australia. As a result, the financial value of farmland in Germany is typically lower and tends to stay within families. The real value of the land comes from its use in agriculture and the products it produces.
During my visit to the March-Buchheim area, I learned that most of the farmland is leased to farmers at very low rates by the landowners. The leased land can only be transferred to another farmer if the current lessee stops farming it. This means that farmers in Germany do not face the same capital barriers to accessing land as those in Australia do, which changes the dynamic of farming activity in the region.
Farm layout
In the farms around March-Buchheim, there are no fences separating the plots. Instead, the plots are clearly marked with access paths and small roads for tractors. The plots range in size from less than one hectare to 10-20 hectares, and one farmer may lease multiple plots in an area. Where animals are kept, they are usually enclosed with electric fencing, with the exception of pigs, which have pens. The farmers do not live on the farm plots but instead reside in the local villages. The plots are designed to follow the contours of the slope, and many of them have tree edges. These farm sizes are much smaller than commercial farms in Australia, which are often fenced to keep people out, even at the smaller scale.
Cultural/community connection
Since the farmland around March-Buchheim is not fenced it makes it feel like an extension of the village. All of the farm areas have access paths and small roads that can be used for walking and biking. During my three weeks of exploring the bike trails and accessing four villages through the farmland trails, I never saw anyone walk onto a farm plot who was not a farmer. This seems to be due to a culture of trust that has developed in the region. Along the edges of the trails, fruit trees such as cherries, apples, and grapes are planted, and there are also sitting areas provided. These public access pathways are maintained by the local government, and there are detailed maps available to help people navigate them.
In addition to the larger farm plots, there are also community garden plots scattered throughout the farming areas. These plots are typically around 200 square meters and are well-developed, with gardens, sitting areas, and structures. They have become an integral part of the culture, connecting residents of the local villages to the farm spaces. My son and his family live in the area and their community plot is a beautiful oasis next to a creek. We even had a family birthday party there one afternoon.
It is common for houses in the villages to have food gardens, and local food is deeply ingrained in the culture of March-Buchheim. This way of looking at food choices is still evolving in Australia, but in Germany it is simply a way of life.
Economic aspects
The farmers sell their produce through local supply chains. Because their land costs are low and their margins are high, they can farm part-time or full-time and earn a reasonable income from their farming activities. The gardeners with their community plots and home food gardens use the food they grow for personal consumption and exchange.
During my visit, I had the opportunity to dine at a beautifully appointed barn-style restaurant run by a farmer at the end of our street in March-Buchheim. The farmer opens the restaurant from spring to autumn each year and serves a variety of vegetables, wine, and meat from pigs that are raised on the farm. The farm is organic/biodynamic, and the food in the restaurant was excellent. All of the food and wine served at the restaurant was produced on the farm. My wife and I rode our bikes around the farm plots several times during our three weeks in the area. The farmer who runs the restaurant both leases and owns land for farming.
Ecological aspects
The farm areas around March-Buchheim are not allowed to use the herbicides that are commonly used in Australia. Some of the farm spaces are managed organically, while others use synthetic fertilisers to some extent. However, all of the farms seem to implement cover crops each year in order to nourish the soil. The health of the environment is a priority in this region due to the multi-functional use of the land.
Reflections for urban agriculture in Australia
- Land access – Prohibitive land prices everywhere in Australia mean that getting land in and around urban environments for urban agriculture requires innovation for: accessing public land, leasing private land at low cost and providing benefits to landowners, sharing land, and aggregating smaller plots of land.
- Farm layout – Farms need to be accessible to the community and have beauty as well as function weaved into their design.
- Community/cultural – Urban farms, with their scale, must embed community connection into their operation to be viable. In this way the urban farms become a vital part of the cultural change that embeds local food as a way of life.
- Economic aspects – Because the urban farm business model would normally involve selling directly to local customers, the farm has the opportunity to open up many other value-adding income streams.
- Ecological – Any farm spaces accessible to the community should be clean from the residues of chemical farming. Farmers must strive to create a positive difference to chemical farming by growing organically and enhancing biodiversity with the farm areas.
The points raised above highlight the importance of ongoing conversation and reflection, which is a key focus of the work done at Gleanr.
For backyard gardeners, these reflections suggest the following key considerations: creating a beautiful and functional space, striving for optimal organic growing methods, building a community of food gardeners in your area who can share resources and knowledge, and being mindful of the well-being and environmental impacts of growing your own food.
By taking these things into account, backyard gardeners can contribute to the health and sustainability of the earth in their own small corner of the world.
Written by Peter Kearney, Gleanr Co-founder
