Photo-voltaic array on dairy cow shed, Schoenberger Hof dairy, near Kolenz, Germany
View of fields, farms and countryside near Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England
Red Poll cows and calves, Uggeshall Farm, Suffolk, EnglandALAN WOODS
TAFE WESTERN SYDNEY INSTITUTE
RICHMOND COLLEGE
SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES IN PERI-URBAN AREAS
What can we learn from England and Germany?
Alan Woods
2009 Premier's EnergyAustralia Environmental Education Scholarship
Background
Peri-urban agriculture can be defined as rural production on the perimeter of cities and towns. The development of urban communities requires some of the agricultural land surrounding settlements to change its land use away from farming to housing. Increasing fringe development around Sydney has seen the loss of farms that had been responsible for production of vegetables, eggs, meat and fruit for Sydney. Management of the changes in land use on city fringes has become a vexed issue as housing density increases and space for production and recreation is reduced.
My interest in peri-urban agriculture has been heightened by changing land use patterns around Richmond, NSW, where increased housing requirements and changes in farming have seen many farms cease production. Recreational agricultural pursuits such as equestrian activities have replaced fruit and vegetable farms and dairying.
The purpose of my study tour was to look at sustainable agricultural practices around cities and towns in England and Germany and explore how the methods used to teach these practices to students studying Agriculture. These countries have a long history of town and village settlement with adjacent farming, along with an industrial base. They are examples of ‘mature’ developed countries compared with Australia. The maintenance of farming activities around cities and towns seemed to require deliberate actions by planners (both at local and national) rather than through a local government-based development model such as that which currently operates in NSW.
I planned to visit farmers, agricultural colleges, researchers at universities and planners.
Farms in England
Linking Environment and Farming (LEAF) is an organisation within England that promotes sustainable farming practices and has a charter to take this message to the general public. LEAF farms hold regular ‘Farm Sundays’ where the farms are open and some explanation of farming practices is given to visitors. This scheme enables a connection between farms, food and consumers. The farms elect to join the scheme and can use the LEAF logo as part of their marketing. Farmers undertake training in presentation of information and exhibition of their farms.
Aishe Barton farm is located near Exeter in Devon. Andrew Baker, the owner and farmer, has a background in engineering and has adopted some different farming practices. The establishment of hedgerows and cropping margins within paddocks allow insects and birds to become resident pest controllers on the farm. Around half of the 267 hectares is cropped regularly; the remainder is pasture area or land set aside for habitat and species protection. Part of farm income comes from the maintenance of natural areas under a scheme to encourage stewardship of the countryside. The grain produced on the farm is used for livestock feed during winter when the cattle and sheep are housed in barns. Several photo boards are located around the farm as part of the LEAF commitment to explain farming processes or habitat for birds and insects.
Broadwell Manor Farm is another LEAF demonstration farm located near Lechlade in Gloucestershire. A mixed farm of over 526 hectares and surrounded by three villages; it combines dairy cattle, sheep, pastures and grain cropping. The farm management strategy put in place by David Jenkinson has been to retain and maintain hedgerows and wooded areas to encourage populations of birds, bugs and predators. Crop margins are preserved and an area of cleared space near hedgerows provides the owners with a game bird area each shooting season. There is a careful rotation of the different crops in order to meet nutritional needs of the cows and efficiently use the arable area. Fertilisers, including treated human sewage waste, are incorporated into the soil at regular intervals.
Till House Farm is part of the farming operation of Phil and Julie Trump. Located on the edge of Exeter Airport and an industrial area, its 100 hectares are used to fatten steers. Part of the farm was proposed for development for the industrial area but the global slowdown has delayed any changes. The family were dairy farmers at Till House, milking over 200 cows for the fresh milk market. The dairy would have needed significant investment in infrastructure to continue, so dairying was discontinued.
Another component of the operation is a 43 hectare farm, Higher Rixdale, about 20 minutes away. This location has farm-stay accommodation which provides a regular income stream for the Trumps. Devon cattle and crossbred sheep are used in grazing activities.
Uggeshall Farm produces Red Poll beef cattle on the east coast of Suffolk. Giles and June Crisp grow crops for both grain and hay to feed their herd of 38 cows. Animals are sold as breeding stock or as cartons of pasture-fed meat. The farm comprises 60 hectares of relatively shallow soil in a region of low rainfall; however it is capable of supporting the herd throughout the year. Conservation of fodder as large round bales also provides a shelter for cattle not shedded through winter. Progeny of an Australian Red Poll bull are in the Uggeshall herd and these animals have made their mark on the English scene by improving muscularity.
Insights Gained from English Farms
* Sustainability in an English context relates less to soil and water conservation and more to economic sustainability. Diversification of produce across both livestock and plant activities are the key to spreading income and risk. Few farms produce a single crop and care is taken with rotation of crops and pastures.
* Farm land is integrated with housing in most areas. Many farms consist of separate blocks with houses in between the blocks.
* Reduced cultivation of cropping areas occurs more now compared to 15 years ago. While soils are generally deeper and younger than Australian soils, fewer machinery operations now occur during preparation and sowing. Modifications have been made to machinery to enable efficient soil preparation.
* There is a big emphasis on efficiency of production and energy use. On-farm consumption of grain and fodder is a more efficient system compared with selling plant products and purchasing feed for animals. The production system is more closely linked than comparable Australian systems.
* Value adding to farm produce is common and most of farms I visited provided beef for sale.
English Colleges
Bicton College offers Further Education (FE equivalent to TAFE) and Higher Education (HE University equivalent) courses in agriculture, horticulture, equine studies and countryside studies (conservation) near Exmouth, Devon. The college has agriculture students engaged in its farm (dairying, beef cattle, sheep, cropping and pastures) and undertaking up to a year of placement on a farm or in a business. There are linkages across the courses with countryside students studying units within agriculture as a lead-in to employment in conservation activities on estates. The college has recently received a grant to upgrade some facilities into an Eco Centre to demonstrate best practice in building construction, insulation and energy capture and use in the built environment on farms.
Harper Adams University College is located near Newport, Shropshire in the Midlands of England. This institute offers degrees and post-graduate studies in many areas of agriculture. It has begun to develop a system of energy production through bio-digestion of farm waste to produce power for heating buildings on the campus. Buildings on the college campus have been fitted with energy efficient components, and a new dairy has been constructed using sustainable, local materials. Student projects have been aligned with lower input agricultural practices to include studies into insect habitat protection in hedge banks in crops and industry-based variety trials for cereals with lower nutrient requirements.
The Royal Agricultural College at Cirencester in Gloucestershire has a long history of agricultural education. Along with undergraduate programs, a post-graduate course in Sustainable Agriculture links students from all over the world in a community of practice to investigate sustainable solutions to international agricultural problems. These can include natural resource development, rural tourism, climate change and organic production. Many of the students in this course are from developing countries and undertake projects that can lead to positive environmental outcomes on a global scale
Otley College is located near the city of Ipswich in Suffolk. This college has undergone many changes in the last 20 years, with Further Education students now accessing animals and facilities off-campus for their practical studies. Changes in funding have seen more specific courses replacing broader-based courses and a greater reliance on external funding. Stronger local links with schools and industry have also been developed.
Writtle College at Chelmsford, Essex offers a range of agricultural courses in both Further- and Higher Education at a similar mix of levels and options to Bicton College. With an emphasis on the delivery of practical skills, it offers study in agriculture, horticulture, equine studies and animal science. Management of animals and the association with production of feed from crops and pastures are the basis of the Further Education programs in agriculture.
Key Insights from English Colleges
* Practical competency-based agriculture programs at Further Education level are similar to those delivered in TAFE in NSW
* Funding restrictions for high cost courses have seen more reliance on external funding sources and links to industry
* Students understanding of energy production and use are now embedded within FE and HE courses of study with college campuses reflecting the wider community’s uptake of renewable energy sources
* Placement of students on a farm or in a business for up to 1 year of their study has positive outcomes for both students’ learning and their employment prospects
* Short courses, targeting skill development, have become an acceptable method of maintenance of industry credentials for people involved in crop spraying, animal management and farm consultancy.
* Short courses in aspects of sustainable agriculture are now being more frequently delivered.
Researchers and Universities in England
University of Plymouth researcher Professor Geoff Wilson has created the concept of a continuum of agricultural producers from ‘productionists’ (concerned with producing more output) through to ‘multifunctional farmers’ (managing many processes such as production, conservation, environmental stewardship and farm development). He believes that long term sustainability can be achieved with the adoption of the idea of ‘multifunctionality’ by farmers.
Dr Richard Yarwood is a Geography lecturer at Plymouth with an interest in development of communities and planning issues. He explained the conflict between the need for affordable housing and the lack of available land in a mature region such as Devon, especially around the more densely populated areas near Plymouth.
Emma Pierce-Jenkins is a lecturer in Planning at Harper Adams University College. She outlined the processes that councils undertake to identify areas for urban development and how landholders propose their land to be considered for development. The term "best and most versatile land" dominates development discussions about farming land so that very good farm land is harder to develop.
The Countryside and Community Research Institute in Cheltenham, is a collaborative research centre between the Universities of Gloucestershire and the West of England. The institute plays a significant role in undertaking rural research in England and across Europe. With a team of over 20 researchers it is the largest such centre in the UK and undertakes projects covering social, economic and environmental issues in rural areas, planning issues, managing change within agricultural communities, food supply and food chains, and landscape and nature. Key issues outlined by Chris Short, Senior Research Fellow within the CCRI, concern the implementation of rural development policy and the challenges that environmental decline and climate change present to farming and rural communities.
English Farm Shops
An example of the diversification of farms in England is the phenomenon of farm shops. Multi-level businesses have developed from a concept of value-adding to produce by selling directly from the farm gate. It is hard to find an Australian equivalent as we lack the population density to sustain enterprises on this scale.
Darts Farm near Exmouth offers a supermarket, delicatessen and restaurant along with camping and kitchen sales. The original vegetable farm still surrounds the retail outlet.
Taverner’s Orange Elephant farm shop is located on a dairy farm near Exeter. Ice cream and dairy products are a mainstay, along with a butchery and fruit and vegetables. Retention of the customer was linked to high quality produce, fresh, seasonal fruit and vegetables and the expectation that some items were not available outside the season as opposed to importations by supermarkets.
Occombe Organic farm shop is ten minutes drive from Torquay in Devon. This farm offers activities such as walking amongst woodlands as well as interaction with farm animals and a well stocked shop and cafe.
Farms in Germany
Farming in southern Germany is conducted on relatively small holdings with sizes of tens of hectares rather than the larger scale farms typical of the north of the country. Of the two large states in the south, Bavaria is noted for cattle herds and cropping and Baden-Württemberg is noted for vegetables, wine grapes and dairying.
The Bavarian government has a number of facilities to support agriculture. The Poing-Grub Research centre is only five train stops outside of Munich in a suburb of the city. The centre researches the nutritional and management requirements of livestock, principally cattle, and is responsible for the dissemination of information to the farming community. The use of lucerne in diets for cattle is being studied and, as a deep-rooted perennial legume, it has benefits over annual cereal crops. Investigations into facilities for dairy cattle have covered the use of recycled components for coating concrete to provide better comfort.
‘Haldenhof’ is a mixed farm 20 minutes from the city of Stuttgart. The Schnerring family produces un-pasteurised milk, eggs, pasta and crops on 90 hectares in a combination of activities not seen in Australia. A farm shop and a direct selling system ensure value-adding of all farm produce. Recycling of nutrients by spreading manure back onto paddocks minimises the use of chemical fertilisers or sprays. ‘Haldenhof’ leases one 15 hectare block from some 85 individual owners, a situation not often encountered in Australia. The farm grows flower crops in amongst fruit trees and tulips and sunflowers are picked by customers. A small bar is open under the farmhouse for locals on selected nights in spring and summer.
Martinsburg Winery is located on the River Rhine at Dienheim near the city of Mainz. Achim Martin is a winemaker who produces white wines from grapes grown in amongst villages adjacent to the river. Attention to detail is required for managing the grapes within this closely-settled region, and a reduction has been achieved in the use of chemical insecticides.
A desire to produce smaller quantities of high quality wine has seen some changes to the varieties grown, but Riesling and Gewürztraminer are two of the mainstays. Achim Martin processes almost three quarters of his grapes, with the remainder sold to another processor. Direct marketing to individual clients enables Achim to limit his reliance upon outlets, and tastings held in northern cities are a component of the marketing plan.
‘Pferdeland’ is a farm of 80 hectares near the village of Grenzau, about 20 minutes from the city of Koblenz. Previously a pig farm and then a dairy, the farm has always produced grain and hay for its animals. Reflecting a change to German society in the last 20 years, it now operates principally as an agistment facility for horse owners in the city nearby. The Meyer family still grow grain and fodder on the farm but mixed feed is formulated for the horses. An indoor exercise arena provides support for a large photovoltaic array to provide power for the farm and alternative fuel sources such as rapeseed oil have been used in machinery.
The Shoenberger Hof dairy is an efficient and impressive animal production unit designed to operate with minimal environmental impact. It is located near Koblenz. A newly built cow barn with capacity for 250 milking cows and a high tech milking parlour (120 cows milked per hour) are powered by photovoltaic cells on the barn and an anaerobic digester (bio-gas production). The excess power returned to the grid provides a long term income for the family. Modifications to machinery mean fewer cultivation passes are required, and the cropping operations can now be completed in one-sixth of the time previously needed.
The Herbst dairy is located in the same area. Milking 120 cows on 180 hectares of pasture land the family uses a photovoltaic array to provide power to the dairy. No bio-gas system is in place as the slurry and wastes from the dairy are used as fertiliser on the pasture and crop areas. An annual herd average of over 10,000 litres of milk per cow is proof of a successful grazing and feeding regime.
The Weinig family run ‘Hof Hahlgarten’ a mixed organic farm 15 minutes from Koblenz. Fresh milk, cheeses and yoghurt are produced and manufactured on the farm as well as a range of meat products. Vegetables, fruit and flowers are produced and sold utilising the labour of a band of dedicated farm helpers. Proximity to a city and an awareness of the link between good diet and health have seen demand for their products grow in the last ten years. The production system on this farm is driven by composted manure being used as the key fertiliser, with strong emphasis also placed on natural pest control methods.
Insights from German Farms
* The use of renewable energy sources is more widespread than in Australia. Not only farms but private houses utilise p-v arrays for power and income.
* There are few processes on German farms that do not have an end product used by another component or activity. Crops provide grain for animals, straw for bedding and for consumption in bio-gas production. Animals provide a saleable product (milk, meat) and their wastes are used for fertiliser or fuel.
* Government support for farmers comes through the provision of income from EU money as well as from contracts for installation and purchase of power from renewable sources (wind, p-v and bio-gas).
* Density of population allows for enough consumers to support on-farm marketing. A connection between consumers, food and its source of production has been the object of the German Farmers Association in the south, where regular Farm Days are held.
Conclusions and Outcomes from the Study Tour
Following my study tour I hope to be able to achieve the outcomes listed below
* Production of a series of ‘digital stories’ or case studies of some of the farms and colleges I visited. These short stories will be able to give students an insight into production of agricultural produce under a different system in a different country
* Developing a network of teaching contacts from the colleges visited to share resources and teaching ideas in an informal community of practice.
* Developing contacts between some of my students and students in England studying at a similar level. The use of a class ‘blog’ from each college can help to establish contact between student groups.
* Developing teaching materials reflecting methods of production and use of resources such as renewable energy in farming systems in England and Germany.
* A broader use of internet-based technologies to share resources and ideas amongst Agriculture teachers within NSW.
* Developing techniques for integrating video footage and digital photography into classroom presentations.
Links for Report
· My blog of the study tour http://alanwoodseurope2010.blogspot.com/
· Linking Environment and Farming (LEAF) http://www.leafuk.org/
· Aishe Barton farm, Silverton, Devon http://www.aishebarton.co.uk/
· Higher Rixdale Farm, Newton Abbot, Devon
http://www.higher-rixdale-farm.com/
· Countryside and Community Research Institute University of Gloucestershire http://www.ccri.ac.uk/
· University of Plymouth http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/
· Harper Adams University College http://www.harper-adams.ac.uk/
· Royal Agricultural College http://rac.ac.uk/
· Bicton College http://www.bicton.ac.uk/
· Otley College http://www.otleycollege.ac.uk/
· Writtle College http://www.writtle.ac.uk/
· UK Red Poll Society http://www.redpoll.org/
