Crowdfunding since 2010

A food forest is being developed at Hof an den Teichen in Lüneburg, Northern Germany. For a sustainable agriculture working WITH nature.

We want to showcase how a biodiverse and climate friendly agriculture can look like AND be economically viable. We will develop a multi-layered, edible ecosystem with herbs, shrubs, fruit and nut trees on one hectar of land in Lüneburg, Northern Germany. By this we create diverse foods, contribute to biodiversity and climate protection and offer a space for education. With your help, we can cover the high initiation costs to develop such a longterm system.
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Funding period
11/19/21 - 12/24/21
Realisation
Spring 2022
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Minimum amount (Start level): 8,000 €

Das erste Fundingziel ermöglicht uns zunächst die Bepflanzung von 800 qm des 1 ha großen Waldgartens mit mehreren hundert Bäumen, Sträuchern und Bodendeckern.

City
Lüneburg
Category
Agriculture
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What is this project all about?

Healthy soil, high biodiversity, cool shade and happy farmers that contribute to a sustainable agriculture and can live well of their work - this is what we wish for from agriculture. More and more people are working on it. It involves: Thinking agriculture differently. But how does this look like?

Food forests can be part of the solution. They are designed as multi-layered systems, that mimic the design of forest or their edge with mostly perennial, edible plants. Fruit and nut trees, berry shrubs, herbs and ground cover are all on one site. This contributes to biodiversity and healthy soil, and stores carbon in plants. Many existing food forests serve self-sufficiency, education and community building.

Our food forests at Hof an den Teichen aims at showing how such a system can work economically and offer a perspective in agriculture. Supported by researchers from Leuphana University, we are developing a plan for the site design, planting activities and business development. Since October 2021, we have started transforming one hectar of cropland with soil improving measures. In spring 2022, we will plant the first trees and shrubs. Besides diverse products in our farm shop, we will create an educational pathway. Interested people can help in planting and harvesting and gain practical insights.

To cover the high initiation costs of the food forests, we need support. And to implement our ideas, we especially need: many plants! We can buy and plant them with private and entrepreneurial support.

What is the project goal and who is the project for?

We want to show a way towards a future-proof agriculture. Our food forest is meant to be a pilot to learn from. On one hectar, we create a system were diverse species live. We do not aim for profits but economic viability, so that food foresters can live off their work. The many different products will be offered in our farm shop and support the regional economic cycle. We will share our experiences in educational offers, like tours through the food forest.

You may live in or near Lüneburg or in another place - our soil and climate in Germany and worldwide needs a more biodiverse agriculture. We stand for all that value sustainability and regional food systems. More broadly, our project is interesting for all environmentally concious people that care about the next generations and the conservation of functioning ecosystems and want to be part of the urgent need for change in agriculture .

Why would you support this project?

Few food forests exist in Germany. These seldom aim at producing food professionally and sustain livelihoods from the work as it is a complex endeavor.

But we urgently need people that work with nature in agriculture. Our food forest in Lüneburg Rettmer is meant to be a pilot project and will share experiences in the food forests with other farmers.

Our focus is on the economic sustainability. In the socio-cultural field these systems are already relatively strong. At the beginning, these system are cost-intense. In the mid-term, from year 10, they can mostly self-regulate through the interactions of the plants so that less work is necessary and running costs are low. These will be covered through the products from the food forests that will represent the diversity of the cultivated land and be offered in our farm shop.

Be a change maker! Set an example for a future-proof agriculture and sustainable food and support us to set up this food forest. Select one of our Rewards or support our project with a donation of your choice.

How will we use the money if the project is successfully funded?

The funds of this campaign will finance the initiation of Lüneburgs' first food forest and cover the purchase of plants. This will create a system of diverse edible fruits from walnuts and peaches to blackcurrants. We plan to start planting in early 2022.

The first funding goal allows us to plant 800 sqm of the 1 ha food forest with hundreds of trees, shrubs, herbs and ground cover, and covers infrastructure costs for pathways, the pond, irrigation and more.

More financial support is offered by the non-profit Campus Foundation. These funds will be used for irrigation and wages. Our goal is that the food forest can self-sustain itself financially after a few years.

You can follow the development of our food forest on Blog Waldgarten Welten.

Who are the people behind the project?

The Campus Foundation for Sustainable and Regional Development is trustee of the project and allows the creation of the food forest.

The Hof an den Teichen, as an agricultural enterprise of the Campus Foundation, is a permaculture and ancient domestic animal farm in Lüneburg Rettmer. Since this year, further farm land enlarges the farm and will host the food forest.

Members of Leuphana University Lüneburg are researching since years on food forests and accompany the project scientifically.

Waldgarten Lüneburg

Cooperations

Campus Stiftung

Wir, die Campus Stiftung für nachhaltige, zukunftsfähige sowie regionale Entwicklung und Bildung, sind Teil der Organisation Campus Lüneburg. Wir sind die Trägerin des Waldgarten-Projekts und kümmern uns um die Umsetzung.

Leuphana Universität

An der Fakultät Nachhaltigkeit forschen wir schon seit Jahren zum Thema Waldgärten und bringen unsere Expertise in diesem transdisziplinären Projekt für eine fruchtbare Kooperation zwischen Wissenschaft und Praxis ein.

Hof an den Teichen

Als Permakultur-Bauernhof am grünen Stadtrand Lüneburgs haben wir bereits viel praktische Erfahrung im Bereich einer nachhaltigen Landwirtschaft und packen tatkräftig bei der Umsetzung dieses Waldgartens mit an!

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CAMPUS Stiftung für nachhaltige, zukunfstfähige und regionale Entwicklung
Klaus Hoppe
Wichernstr. 34 B
21335 Lüneburg Deutschland
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Creating a food forest for Lüneburg
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