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Dear members and friends of Agrecol,
we invite you to our spring meeting to Trebnitz near Müncheberg!
Date: May 10.-13, 2018
Location: Schloss Trebnitz near Müncheberg, located approx. 60 km from Berlin in the east of Brandenburg. Travel by car: approx. 1 1/2 hours from Berlin. Travel by train: 50 min departing from Berlin-Lichtenberg (Arrival in Trebnitz (Mark) at 14:21, 16:21 or 18:21) and 10 min walk.
Theme
Non-traditional establishment of new farms and start-ups in rural Brandenburg, their perspectives and visions, their interaction with village communities, challenges as small newly founded enterprises, and in the context of largescale farming structures (also in view of land grabbing and huge agro-investments). We can build on previous meetings, among others, about perspectives of young people in rural regions.
In Brandenburg, such newcomers have joint together in a network, for their mutual support, and to represent their interest to the outside. They want to live in, and with, the country side, support small scale farming, and thus, strengthen villages. Although political and local conditions act against their undertakings, they decided to settle down and „just get started“ with their enterprises, and their visions of rural development. Economic entities, interrelationships and activities are developing, in the vilage and in the region, new models of economic development, and more still to be discovered.
Objectives of the Meeting
- Get an insight in the situation of non-traditional small-farm start-us in the middle of largescale agro-industrial complexes
- Understand motivations, life patterns, challenges and strategies
- Learn from each other, regarding specific topics
- and internally, as always: meet again, and have a nice time together
Concept
We get started with the presentation of the farmer network, their members, and the situation on ground. Since the meeting coinsides with the busiest time of the farmers, we plan one central meeting with some of them, instead of having several farm visits. Around this, a mix of technical and touristic activities.
As themes for the joint meeting we thought:
- How can the advisory services within the network be strengthened, also for new farmers (Extension structures in Brandenburg are rather scanty) ?
- How can protection of nature be formulated as a business concept (some farmers work on rented and rather unproductive land in protected areas, which they have to use purposefully and profitably)? – not yet sure
- How can a collective marketing concept be designed, possibly over long distances?
We hope, that at the end of the meeting, a „translation“ into our own work will be possible.
and the children? – We currently know of two participating children. If more will join, we are well prepared to jointly think about a programme for children, beyond the planned walk with donkeys.
We have planned a meeting for up to 30 participants.
Preparation of content and organisation: Susanne Hofmann-Souki, Christine Martins and Dorothea Dietrich, supported by Silke Stöber (Verein Brandenburg 21/Netzwerk Lebendige Dörfer)
Cooperation with:
Bündnis junge Landwirtschaft e.V. http://www.stopp-landgrabbing.de/
You would like to participate? Contact: info@agrecol.de