Farmers in the district of Erding support the nationwide campaign “Colorful forks”.
You are fighting for more say - also at EU level.
Erding - Colorful forks that connect farmers and citizens.
This idea is behind an action that the well-known agricultural blogger Bauer Willi started across Germany a few days ago.
He receives support in the Erding district.
As many of these colorful forks as possible should also be seen there in the fields in the future.
They point out that a new EU strategy could jeopardize the very existence of many small farms across Europe.
In May, the EU Commission published the “From Farm to Fork” strategy, which is the core of the Green Deal.
The aim is to improve the way of life, health and environmental protection.
Agriculture plays a central role in this.
According to the district farmer Irmgard Posch, this is “well thought out - but still far from being well done”.
That is what she said at the presentation of the “Colorful forks” campaign on Thursday at the Brunold inn in Eichenkofen.
Michael Hamburger, farmer from Buch am Buchrain, took up the blogger's campaign and announced it on the Facebook page he founded, “Agriculture in the Erding District”.
Officially there is still no statement from the farmers' association on the action, but Posch expressly welcomed the public relations work.
“We want to strengthen the small businesses as part of the campaign,” said Hamburger, who, despite good approaches, also identified some problems in the EU strategy.
There are many contradictions, the farmers were not asked.
They wanted to send the message to politicians that the strategy could be successful, but only if the - not yet written - laws were coordinated with the farmers.
"No concrete goals were formulated, nobody knows what exactly," said Hamburger, referring to the use of pesticides, among other things.
There are “tons of conflicting goals” - regardless of whether it's on the subject of biodiversity, animal husbandry or excessive bureaucracy.
A big contradiction for Hamburgers: "Small businesses should be preserved, but big investments made at the same time."
District administrator Martin Bayerstorfer, a practicing farmer himself, spoke of awareness-raising that is being pursued with forks.
"Networking at the local level", as Hamburger put it.
In other words: the local farmers should talk to the citizens and make it clear to them that it is in their own hands which food - and especially from where - comes on their fork.
Bayerstorfer took politics to his chest.
A meat tax will not help, so prices will only go further down.
“In the overall assessment, we need cheap food, not cheap”, says Bayerstorfer, who also alluded to the problem of imported food.
“There are no prices based on generation costs,” he said.
There are only political prices.
“Please trust our local agriculture more.
They're doing it right, ”said the district administrator.
“Agricultural policy is now required.
Otherwise there will only be 200 dairy farms in the district in five years, ”warned Matthias Lohmeier from Taggrub, district chairman of the Association of German Dairy Farmers.
Hamburger and Langengeisling's BBV local chairman Andreas Röslmair set up the first two colorful forks in their fields.
They hope for many imitators.
How the farmers make their forks - how big, what color or whether made of wood - is up to them.
Röslmair, who has 50 cows, criticized the five-part crop rotations, among other things.
These are "only for the big companies".
Agriculture needs the Bavarian structure and not huge corn fields as in the east.
“Otherwise, at some point everything will be an area up to Berglern,” he said.
The farmers also see the district brand “Echt erding” as an opportunity for regional marketing structures.
This was referred to by Robert Grimm, administrator of the Facebook page “Agriculture in the Erding District”.