Collaborating on Biodiversity and Technology in Germany

 For a long time, Europe has had very high standards for environmental sustainability and is really concerned about biodiversity. So how does a multi-generational family farm accommodate these interests while still running a profitable and sustainable farm business?

 

We're joined today by a farmer from Germany, Hans Heinrich. And Syngenta's Sebastian Funk to talk about cross-generational farming and trying new ideas across a large operation.

 ”We often try something and sometimes it works and sometimes it does not. That's normal. But this idea of rebuilding the soil, I guess that's the most important thing we can do for this generation and for the next generation. “ - Hans Heinrich

 Hans Heinrich Farms with his wife and his son in eastern Germany. He and his son are constantly dreaming up new ideas and approaches for the farm, and bringing in new equipment from across Europe to implement practices like strip till. They grow corn and potatoes as their main crops with some small grains in rotation on occasion as well.

Joining Hans Heinrich is Syngenta's sustainable farm manager for Germany, Sebastian Funk. He grew up on a family farm and is now based in Frankfurt. He works alongside dozens of farmers across the region on sustainable practices, biodiversity research and implementation of digital tools.

This Week on Soil Sense:

• Meet Hans Heinrich and Sebastian Funk and learn more about agricultural soils and systems in this region of Germany

• Discover the collaboration that takes place between farmers like Hans Heinrich and his family and partners like Syngenta

• Understand the importance of biodiversity research and what is being discovered about biodiversity on farms in Germany

• Explore some of the digital tools used in farming and soil health

The  Soil Sense podcast is for those that believe building healthier soils is not just a prescription, but rather a pursuit. On this show, we unpack the way farmers collaborate to build healthier soils and adapt systems to work on their farm for both sustainability and profitability.

Thank you to Syngenta for sponsoring this season of the Soil Sense podcast. If you are interested in what soil health looks like in practice and on the farm, please subscribe and follow this show on your favorite podcast app, and leave us a rating and review while you’re there!