OLGA

Stadt-Land-Plus Status Conference 2022 in Leipzig

Big reunion in Leipzig's Felsenkeller to exchange project results and ideas for continuation

26.09.2022

 

 

© Victor Smolinski

After three years of Corona online meetings, all participants were finally able to meet and exchange ideas in person at the Felsenkeller in Leipzig on the 19th and 20th of September 2022. At the "Marketplace of Opportunities", all initiatives presented themselves, shared their results and synergies. There were also one or two good tips for the OLGA team. For example, in some federal states agroforestry systems can be implemented as a production-integrated compensation measure. Maybe also an option for Saxony?! One stand showed the steps needed to produce activated carbon pellets from green and landscape cuttings. That can also be done with agriwood, can't it? From other projects we learned how to carry out agricultural reallabs or how "tiny gardens" look like.

 

For the continuation of processes, cooperations and reallabs etc. in cities and regions, it is important to think about legal regulations, planning guidelines and horizons, and to find people who think regionally and are committed to their topics and projects beyond the boundaries of municipal or city administrations. During the implementation phase of OLGA, we will make sure to have a regular exchange with actors in Dresden and the surrounding area so that our pilot measures and agricultural reallabs can be continued.

Field trip about regional food value chains in the Leipzig region

 
© Anke Hahn

On the second conference day there were four thematic excursions to choose from. We took the one dealing with regional products - of course - and spoke to people who are committed to regional food value creation in Leipzig and the surrounding area:

Thilo Egenberger sells mostly regional and organic food in the Plagwitz market hall - this is also where the refreshingly sour "lipz Schorle" was created. The City of Leipzig is currently developing a comprehensive cross-sector strategy for regionally sustainable food. Lots of municipal instruments are involved in this process, such as studies, leasing criteria, regional marketing, nutrition education, etc.

 

Johanna and Robert at the Lerchenhof in Jesewitz gave us an insight into a regenerative farm. Soon they will start up an organic mill for processing regional cereals and legumes (!). Lastly, we stopped at Wassergut Canitz GmbH to see an example of a valuable urban-rural cooperation for the production, processing and marketing of regional organic food (potato and onion!) in the drinking water protection area of Leipzig.

Four municipalities in the Wurzen region want to promote regional material and product cycles. To this end, they founded the Wurzener Landwerke. Here, four inter-municipal companies have already been established for the tasks of digitalisation, energy, service and regional food.

Thank you to the WERTvoll project team for organising the excursion and to all the speakers! It was great fun with you!