zum Hauptmenü zum Seiteninhalt zur Subnavigation zum Footermenü zur Suchfunktion zu den Hinweisen der Barrierefreiheit


Learning on the farm: on the trail of schnitzel and bread

Where does the schnitzel on your plate come from? How is grass turned into milk? Why do farmers have to use crop protection? Questions like these are answered in a playful and creative way at the 20 farm learning locations in the Ludwigsburg district. Interest from schools is constantly growing - it's good that two new farms are now taking part in the program.

A smiling family stands in a field, with a corn crop in the background. They hold a large sign promoting agricultural equipment, while a tractor is parked nearby. The family includes a woman, a man, and a small child.

Farm manager Markus Pflugfelder with his family and the "Lernort Bauernhof" sign.

A man and a woman stand together outdoors, holding a sign that reads "LEHRBOTE BAUERNHOF in Baden-Württemberg." The background features greenery and flowers, suggesting a rural setting. The image conveys a message about promoting local farming or agricultural education.

Farm manager Andreas Grau with his wife Melanie - they are also involved in the farm as a place of learning.

At Markus Pflugfelder's new "learning farm" in Möglingen, schoolchildren will be able to learn all about grain and potatoes or how to research the composition of soil. At Andreas and Melanie Grau's farm in Sersheim, school classes can find out how a chicken fattening farm works. "Our farm learning locations are not theory, but practice. Here, young people can experience the value and development of agricultural products at first hand. In a densely populated metropolitan area like the Stuttgart region and in times of increasingly globalized food markets, this is an invaluable asset," says Luise Pachaly, Head of the Agriculture Department at the Ludwigsburg District Office.

The farm as a place of learning is indeed a successful model. In 2019, the number of guided tours and farm visits had risen to over 130 by the end of the school year, with lessons for around 2,500 children and young people being moved to the farm without further ado. "We are very pleased about the annual increase in school class visits, which is why it is also important for us to keep adding new farms," says Luise Pachaly. So far, 10 percent or two of the 20 Lernort farms are organic. In the new organic model region, to which the district belongs, this percentage is also welcome to grow. "We are always on the lookout for more learning location farms - both organic and conventional - and welcome inquiries," adds Pachaly.

A special feature of the farm learning locations: a digital educational route - "From grass to milk" - has been available for almost two years. Pupils in grades 3 to 5, equipped with a tablet, can get to know the mechanisms of a dairy farm up close.

The farm learning locations are suitable as remote classrooms from elementary school to upper school and for all secondary schools. For example, teachers can offer project days on the subject of potatoes (planting/planting potatoes; caring for potatoes; harvesting potatoes). Visits over several days are also possible, always with a different focus - for example "From cow to milk" or "From grain to bread", "Soil is life", "Meadow and orchard - a habitat for animals and plants" or "Biogas plant - how is liquid manure turned into electricity?". There are (almost) no limits to the imagination of the teachers.

back