Rural Europe on the move English_E_version_all | Page 116

CHAPTER 9
“Pellworm would be the ideal place
to experiment with practices for a
climate-friendly farming on a small scale.”
Bernhard Osterburg
Knowledge
sharing with DRÔME
in France
Jochen Haug from Die in the French
Drôme region, visits Pellworm to share
Bernhard Osterburg, special adviser of animals, improved crop rotation, his experience of local slaughter
to the German Federal Government at and better protection of soils against options. He has founded a farmers’
the Thünen Institut in Braunschweig erosion and loss of humus. In 2019, cooperative in order to save a small
working on adaptation of farming we start this exercise and might have slaughterhouse in his region that was
practices to climate change. sufficient data to consider improved about to be closed by the authorities.
“Pellworm would be the ideal place to agronomic practices including We discuss possibilities of mobile
experiment with practices for a climate- conventional and organic farms. At slaughter facilities on farms to avoid
friendly farming on a small scale,” he the end of the day we sit on this soup the long and exhausting transport of
says. plate island together. our cattle to the mainland.
Osterburg suggests working on a
Other participants at the round
All these reflections and
full accounting of all nutrients, which tables suggest work on breeding suggestions could be the ingredients
circulate on the island, including special organic and climate resistant for what many on the island would like
imported feed, fertilisers as well as seeds and farm animals and to to see emerge in the future, namely
green, liquid and solid manure. That become another ARK together ‘the Pellworm trade mark’. It could
would lift our thinking above the with Süderoog. We could revitalise create a new common ground for all.
fences of our individual farms. Based contacts with the European Small It could become another ’Pellover‘
on this balance of nutrients we might Islands Network (ESIN), which Camille narrative of connecting within our
be able to reconsider stocking density is currently heading as president. local economy, between farmers,
local restaurants, the school, the
energy cooperative, the dairy, a new
slaughterhouse … and friends across
Europe.
I close the west doors of the barn
and the farmhouse. A severe storm is
announced. If it carries rain it would
be welcome, but it turns out to just be
violent wind with not a drop of water
for our fields.
THIS PAGE
11. Pellworm’s lighthouse and
traditionally thatched houses
OPPOSITE
12. Wild geese pecking
in Pellworm meadows
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