In 40 days, the fourth Organic Field Days will open its doors on June 14 and 15, 2023 at the Grieshaber & Schmid organic farm. Around 50 cyclists are already exploring the organic sector in Baden-Württemberg. From May 4 to 9, they will cycle from Stuttgart via Balingen, Freiburg and Karlsruhe to Ditzingen, where the Organic Field Days will take place. The purpose: to have fun, network and get to know almost 30 agricultural businesses, associations, universities and advisory organizations along the way.
“The idea actually came about because we all like cycling and we can experience the diversity of organic farming in the southwest together. The bike tour is like a relay ride to the organic field days. It’s great that we’ve worked so well together right from the start and are using our large network to put together innovative Organic Field Days 2023,” emphasized the team organizing the bike tour, led by Robert Hermanowski from the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL).
Around 50 people from various institutions who have been planning the Eco Field Days 2023 for around two years and will be taking part in the cycle tour in a few weeks’ time. “We like to get moving and want to make a difference. At the same time, we are using the tour to show how diverse organic farming in Baden-Württemberg already is,” say the organizers of the bike tour. The daily stages of the six-day privately organized cycle tour are 50-60 kilometers. Most cyclists take part in sections of one to three days.
Ministry of Agriculture and the University of Hohenheim are stations
Yesterday, 30 cyclists met in Erdmannhausen, north-east of Stuttgart, known for its crispy Huober pretzels. A guided tour of the pretzel museum cleared up all the mysteries surrounding the pretzel and whetted the appetite for more. So we got on our bikes and started pedaling – via the Voltz organic farm in Burgstetten and the Weber bakery in Winnenden to the Ministry of Agriculture.
There, Ministerial Director Grit Puchan awaited the cyclists, who took a refreshment break in front of the Ministry of Food, Rural Areas and Consumer Protection. “I can already feel the anticipation and am looking forward to the exchange, the discussions and the impulses during the Organic Field Days 2023. The Organic Field Days are an important building block for the further development of organic farming in Baden-Württemberg,” said Grit Puchan.
The last part of the day led from Stuttgart to the University of Hohenheim, where the cyclists were welcomed by students from the Sustainability Working Group and the Organic Farming Working Group. A lively exchange quickly developed between the eco-cyclists and the students – combined with the agreement to continue the discussions at the Eco-Field Days.
The next stages of the cycle tour continue via Nürtingen, Tübingen, Überlingen, Titisee, Freiburg and Karlsruhe to Ditzingen. Along the way, there are numerous other organic farms and institutions that represent Baden-Württemberg’s diverse organic landscape. The finish line is on May 9 at the site of the Öko-Feldtage 2023 – the Grieshaber & Schmid organic farm in Ditzingen-Hirschlanden.