In cooperation with VISIONEN DER NACHHALTIGKEIT, the Volkshochschule and the Ernährungsrat Freiburg, a farm tour of the Lindenbrunnenhof in Forchheim took place on May 13. Otmar Binder and his son Florian Binder gave the participants an insight into their farm, which has emphasised organic and sustainable agriculture for decades.

The Binder family had been committed to the principles of environmentally friendly farming long before they and their farm became members of the Bioland association in 2011. Instead of maximising yields, a responsible approach to nature and the environment has always been the focus at the Lindenbrunnenhof. Chemical pesticides have never been used on the farm and with regards to their produce, it is important to Otmar Binder that ‘there is nothing in the food that doesn’t belong there.’ The food grown on the farm is intended for direct regional sale at weekly markets in Freiburg and Emmendingen, as well as for gastronomy and the farm shop located directly on the property.

With reference to the film Unser Boden, unser Erbe, which VISIONEN DER NACHHALTIGKEIT showed at the Harmonie Kino on April 29, Florian and Otmar Binder emphasised the importance of healthy soil for their work. During a tour of the fields and the greenhouses, the participants were given detailed insight into the diverse varieties and cultivation methods on the farm, as well as the current challenges of a sustainable circular economy. Climate change is reflected not least in the fact that the soil structure is no longer as good as it was a few years ago due to the ever shorter and milder winters. In addition to climate change, rising operating costs and a shortage of labour also pose a challenge. For young people, the profession of farmer is perceived as increasingly unattractive due to a lack of financial security, high physical demands and low appreciation in society esteem.

In order to ensure the continued existence of organic, sustainable and regional farms such as the Lindenbrunnenhof, Otmar Binder believes that one thing is essential: the term ‘organic’ needs to be broadened within society. This includes a more conscious approach to foodstuffs as well as buying regional, organically grown products. In this way, farmers like the Binder family can continue to run the Lindenbrunnenhof and continue to offer fair, environmentally friendly produce in the region.

If you want to support this service to people and nature, said Florian Binder at the end of the enriching and informative event, you can buy local produce at the weekly famers markets and get in touch with the farmers. Furthermore, there is the opportunity to actively help with the harvest directly on site at the Lindenbrunnenhof. The farm tour made it clear how much innovation and work goes into the food on offer at weekly farmers markets and that a diverse range of regional, organic vegetables, salad and fruit, along with the preservation of healthy soil and biodiversity, should not be taken for granted, but should be valued accordingly.

The farm tour was part of VISIONS OF SUSTAINABILITY, an inter- and transdisciplinary research project funded by the Innovation Sustainability Campus (ICN), located at the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). Non-university cooperation partners include Harmonie Kino, the Volkshochschule Freiburg and Greenmotions. The Freiburg environmental mayor Christine Buchheit has taken on the patronage of the project.