"Slow it, spread it, sink it, store it, share it!
12.09.2024 | EVENT
Under the motto “Meeting the challenges of the future”, the field day took place on September 12, 2024 on the land of Solawi Feldkultur. The market garden, which is certified according to Bioland guidelines, is run by Birte Friebel and Jakob Katzlinger, who are using creative concepts to promote the idea of sustainable agriculture. The market garden is organized as an association in which the members play an important role in decision-making processes: “Jakob and I are not the management, but the cultivation management,” Birte Friebel made clear.
The field day focused on the effective use of water resources and future-oriented soil use in vegetable growing. During the inspection, Birte Friebel emphasized the importance of the soil as the most important component of the water balance: “The soil is our biggest and best rain barrel! Protecting it is the best way to store water. There is a simple slogan for dealing with water on land: slow it, spread it, sink it, store it, share it”.
This strategy is implemented on the farm using in-situ mulch, catch crops, undersown crops and special pipe systems that direct rainwater run-off to the vegetable beds via paths. “Measures such as mulching minimize surface runoff and prevent erosion, while reducing soil heating and soil evaporation in dry conditions. Crops that are characterized by long standing times, late clearance, high growth and a wide planting distance are particularly suitable for undersowing. These contribute significantly to maintaining the soil structure and increasing the water storage capacity,” said Birte Friebel.
The green paths on the farm cover almost half of the nursery area and around a third of the farm area. According to Jakob Katzlinger, they ensure less warming, less erosion and reduced mud formation. They also protect the joints, promote biomass production (“mow & blow” or “cut & carry”) and provide a habitat for various species. They even contribute to dew production, which further supports the water supply.
As a special guest, Katharina Cypzirsch from the Competence Center for Organic Farming Rhineland-Palatinate (KÖL) presented her experiences and impressions of the organic lead farms on drone sowing of undersown carrots. She explained that this method offers advantages such as time and cost savings and makes it possible to sow areas even with poor trafficability. However, there were differences in the emergence and development of the undersown crops, which is partly due to the fact that the seeds cannot be sufficiently worked into the soil. Further trials are needed to optimize this technique and promote its use.
At the end of the event, the participants were able to exchange ideas over coffee and cake.
The field day was a joint project of Solawi Feldkultur, PFN-Hessen, AK Ökogemüse (LLH) and KÖL and was a complete success with around 50 participants!
