Spring is here. Flowers sprout, birds chirp, the sun is shining. So a good time to organize a spring festival, that’s what the new solidarity agriculture – in short: Solawi – in Neufahrn near Vaterstetten thought. With stick bread, falafel and a bouncy castle, people from the area are lured out into the open to give them an understanding of the Solawi concept at a “midday day”.
And it works like this: People join together to form a cooperative or some other type of association, lease a piece of land from a farmer – in this case Paul Hilger – and farm it. Each association member pays a fixed monthly fee and in return receives boxes of fresh, organically grown and seasonal vegetables. Depending on how the harvest turns out, there is sometimes more, sometimes less in the box. However, this risk is shared between the members and the farmer; If you want, you can also help with sowing, tending and harvesting. But there is always a gardener who takes care of the vegetables.
The founding phase of the Solawi was characterized by uncertainties and discussions
A Solawi stands and falls with the fact that there are enough members to pay the gardener fairly and to be able to make the necessary investments – in seeds, equipment and soil. In this respect, the spring festival also has a very practical purpose: to ensnare potential new members. A little concern can therefore also be seen in Michael Freistetter’s face when the seven beer benches are hardly occupied at lunchtime. “Of course we hope that many people will come,” says the founding member. There are currently around 20 members, 40 to 50 are needed to finally get the project up and running.
The culinary supply also serves as advertising, there is falafel with vegetables from the Solawi.
(Photo: Peter Hinz-Rosin)
Because although colorful T-shirts and buttons with the Solawi logo and lettering have already been distributed, the association has not yet been finally registered. “There are always hurdles in the start-up phase, and bureaucracy is one of them,” explains Freistetter. Beate Backhaus, another founding member, also found the past few months difficult: “There have been many, long discussions about the direction in which we want to move, it’s exhausting.” Soon, however, everything should be poured into a correct legal form. And for some, the content-related discussions are perhaps part of the attraction of participating in the association.
Contributing your own ideas is part of the club culture
At least that’s what Heike thinks, who, like everyone else that day, likes to be spoken to on a first-name basis. She is new to Solawi and has “many ideas” that she would like to bring to the next general meeting in the summer. For example, she sees great potential in planting hedges around the property to minimize soil erosion from wind.
Her main motivation for joining the association, however, is treating the gardener, the farmer and, last but not least, the field with respect. “The soil is what we live on. We are made up of the food we eat,” says Heike. Accordingly, one should handle both with care.
Valuable soil: farmer Paul Hilger prepares the beds.
(Photo: Peter Hinz-Rosin)
But some just come to look, to experience something again. For example, the friends Michaela, Inge and Bärbel. They are here for “nice weather, nice company, new people” – not so much for the Solawi themselves. In their opinion, this is too expensive or superfluous, since they already grow some vegetables themselves.
Many of the visitors want to do something for the climate and the environment
But most of the people who slowly but steadily fill the beer benches have a different motivation. In the end, an estimated 100 people buzz around the small farm in Neufahrn like bees around the elderflower bush. “We didn’t expect so much encouragement,” commented Michael Freistetter on the crowd. Many come because they are interested in organic farming, want to fight climate change and protect the environment and therefore want to collect information about the Solawi.
Melanie and Allessandro lend a hand on the day of participation and loosen up the soil.
(Photo: Peter Hinz-Rosin)
For example Alessandro, an engineer from Vaterstetten. He has “no idea” about gardening, but today he’s already learning that radishes like to be planted as deep as possible in the ground. That’s why he puts his hand and foot to work to loosen the soil. He could definitely imagine helping out at the weekend, but he would like to think twice before making a final decision.
Herbert and Gisela have already thought about it, they will be new members from April. In Weißenfeld they have their own snack garden, “fresh vegetables from first hand” is the main motivation for joining the club for the retirees, who eat almost no meat anyway. Conni from Erding, on the other hand, is primarily looking for inspiration in Neufahrn. She wants to start her own large self-sufficient garden and has already found 30 fellow campaigners.
The children are already helping to plant the vegetable garden
And then there are the children. They, too, are part of the motivation for people like Michael and Sabine Freistetter. They want their children to be able to relate to nature and food. “That’s far too rare these days,” Heike also complains. Sabine finds it particularly important that the children understand what it means to grow your own vegetables and how complex the whole process is.
From the field to the table: At Solawi you can learn how much work Gemüde puts into it.
(Photo: Peter Hinz-Rosin)
Rarely, however, does a motivation act of its own accord, like the children here. Tim, Abdul and Valentina are among those who have helped sow vegetable seeds and plant young plants themselves. Abdul, whose father runs the falafel restaurant on the farm, says proudly that he planted half of the bed with his own hands. Everyone obviously enjoys their work, they like being out in nature and operating the machines.
Further events and cooperation with the surrounding communities are planned
A lot is already being planted and harvested under the plastic tarpaulin of the greenhouse, as Freistetter reports: spring onions, carrots, leeks, chard, radishes, lettuce and onions. No potatoes? “It was debated for a long time,” he says, “after all, it takes a lot of space and heavy equipment. But it’s bound to happen at some point.” From April, vegetable boxes with the seasonal harvest will be provided. “You have to change your eating habits a bit,” says Sabine Freistetter. “But you get used to it quickly and the club is also a place to exchange recipes.”
The offer is always seasonal. Lucia and Gisela plant spring onions.
(Photo: Peter Hinz-Rosin)
Other things are also planned, as Beate Backhaus reveals. Other events, for example, there should be cooperation with the communities, a children’s holiday program and school classes should also be able to visit the Solawi. “And of course we want more vegetables,” adds Petra Loser, also a founding member. However, the association can already bring in a slightly different harvest on this day: when the spring festival is over, Loser reports with joy that 30 new members have fallen in love with the Solawi concept.
Solidarity agriculture in Neufarn near Vaterstetten, information and contact at https://acka-lacka.de/.