With the fifth issue of the OLGA newsletter we provide you with the news of the last months. Since April, we have officially been in the practical phase. Some pilot projects are already almost certain, others are still in the conception phase. Our aim is to create places where sustainable agriculture and regional food become visible and applicable in the Dresden region, where future land use and food systems can be discussed and new paths can be taken together - with actors from science and practice, from administration and with civil society in Dresden and the surrounding area. Some pilot activities are already mentioned in this newsletter - have a look, stay interested and enjoy reading!

Have a nice summer

the OLGA project team

Contents

1. Terrestrial laser scanning as a tool for assessing the biomass potential of agroforestry systems
2. What is the poplar doing in the field? Planting of the first agroforestry system in the Dresden region
3. Exhibition "What actually is sustainability?" at the COSMO Science Forum Dresden
4. For healthy & regional nutrition: Legume promotion days at Marktschwärmer Dresden
5. Organic - regional - zero waste! That works - visiting the Palais Café Dresden
6. Come together of the Stadt-Land-Plus community in Bamberg
7. Value creation from agroforestry systems - production of biochar
8. Open letter to the federal and state governments for more support for agroforestry
9. Deadlines & Events
10. Imprint

Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) is a technology that can use a transmitted laser pulse to represent an environment in detail as a 3D point cloud. Although TLS has only been applied to forests since the 2000s, it offers great potential to measure individual trees down to the smallest branch. This can be used to accurately calculate biomass volumes, among other things. This is hardly possible with manual measurements. To visualize our test location at Peickwitz in southern Brandenburg, a 3D flight through the agroforestry system planted with the poplar species Fritzi-Pauley was undertaken.

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There are trees (again) on the fields of the Lommatzscher Pflege - at least initially there are canes, which should already be small trees in autumn. The Herrmann farm in Sieglitz near Lommatzsch has opted for an agroforestry system on its land. And this is just the beginning! OLGA, in cooperation with farmer Marion Herrmann, the Stadt-Land-Plus "sister project" WertVoll, the BUND Dresden, and the agroforestry or permaculture experts for fast-growing tree species Lignovis GmbH and Nam Nam Natura, has made short work of creating the foundations for an agroforestry system with energy and value woods.

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In the meantime, the first weed control has already been carried out with hard-working helpers from BUND Dresden and the OLGA project. Next spring the action will be repeated so that the young trees can grow undisturbed in their first year.

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What does climate change mean for us locally? Are our trees in the forests and parks dying now? Sustainable food for all - is that even possible? How can we bring together efficient food production and a healthy ecosystem? How do we want to change our cities? Can they become more environmentally friendly and at the same time more equitable? In short, how can we make our way of life sustainable and more livable?

Scientists from Dresden have been researching the topic of sustainability for years and are now showing possible solutions to these and other pressing questions of our time from mid-March to mid-July in the COSMO Science Forum. The topics range from biodiversity, climate change and environmental protection to recycling, sustainable urban development, education, agriculture and nutrition. In addition to vivid models, interactive VirtualReality installations and displays as well as videos will be on display. The exhibition will be accompanied by a variety of events over the coming months.

The OLGA project, with a contribution on agroforestry and a poplar cutting as a live exhibit, is a component of the exhibition, which is always open Tues-Thurs 1-6 p.m. for all interested parties.

Flyer (German)

Starting on 10 February, just in time for the International Pulses Day, the OLGA project invited people to immerse themselves in the world of beans, peas, lentils and lupins at the Marktschwärmer stations in Radebeul, Dresden-Pieschen, -Neustadt and -Friedrichstadt.The aim was to educate the Marktschwärmer customers about the agricultural and health benefits of pulses and, above all, to arouse enthusiasm for incorporating them into their daily cooking.

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The Palais Café was originally launched in 2019 as a pop-up café in the Japanese Palace as one of the exhibition venues of the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden to offer visitors a sustainable concept to refresh and relax during their exhibition visit. From a temporary project, the Palais Café has become permanent, enjoys an ever-growing fan base and thus also meets increased demands. We met with Agnieszka and Kathi, the two current operators, to talk about the day-to-day challenges and opportunities of running this special café in Dresden.

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The OLGA project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research within the framework of the Urban-Rural-Plus Directive. In addition to the topic of sustainable land use and regional value creation, there are also projects on spatial and settlement development, regional material cycles, etc. within this funding framework. Once a year, the entire Stadt-Land-Plus community meets for a status conference - this time on 12 and 13 June 2023 in Bamberg. There, a look was taken at the results of the projects of the first funding call of this guideline, which were already launched in 2018 and are now coming to an end.

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In February, we were guests at Domins farm in Peickwitz near Senftenberg to learn more about the production of biochar from wood chips. In our opinion, the end product, biochar, is a valuable and sustainable value-added option from agroforestry systems and has a wide range of uses in agriculture: as an admixture to animal feed, as a soil conditioner and even for the purification of wastewater (interesting e.g. for municipal sewage treatment plants). The wood chips are pyrolysed in a pyrolysis plant and then turned into a valuable soil conditioner through the admixture of effective microorganisms. Especially for sandy and humus-poor soils, the admixture of biochar can mean a sustainable promotion of soil fertility. It also loosens heavy and compacted soils, stores up to 5 times its own weight in water and provides an optimal habitat for microorganisms.

Regional value chains of biochar are not yet established in the South Brandenburg/Saxony region, but could form valuable actor networks for the agriculture of the future. If farms do not use the biochar themselves, cooperations between farmers and agricultural cooperatives as producers of biochar and potential buyers, such as cities and municipalities or companies in the energy and utility sectors, will play a major role in the future. 

In any case, the production and use of biochar from agroforestry systems makes an active contribution to climate protection and the regenerative use of agricultural soils. We would like to thank the German Association for Agroforestry for organising and carrying out this interesting event and the exciting exchange!

Learn more

Agroforestry systems can make an important contribution to sustainable agriculture. However, the current support framework for such land use systems still leaves a lot to be desired. For this reason, the professional organisations Arbeitsgemeinschaft bäuerliche Landwirtschaft e. V. (AbL) and Bund Ökologische Lebensmittelwirtschaft e.V. (BÖLW), together with the Deutscher Fachverband für Agroforstwirtschaft e.V. (DeFAF), have written an open letter to the ministers and senators for agriculture and the environment of the federal and state governments.

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15.03.-13.07.2023, Dresden | Ausstellung "Was ist eigentlich Nachhaltigkeit?" (mit Beteiligung von OLGA)

30.06.2023, Strehla, Leisnig, Wurzen | Feldrundfahrt ökologischer Ackerbau mit Schwerpunkt Körnerleguminosen    

30.06.-01.07.2023, Dresden & online | 8th Conference of the Network of early career researchers in sustainability transitions (NEST): "Re-imagining transitions: beyond established methods and concepts"

30.06.2023, Dresden | Dresdner Lange Nacht der Wissenschaften

03.07.2023, Dresden | Workshop: Kochpraxis mit Hülsenfrüchten in der Kita- und Schulverpflegung in Kooperation mit dem NAHhaft e. V.

03.07.2023, Greifswald | Abschlusskonferenz Projekt Vorpommern Connect: Was macht unsere Region lebenswert(er) und fit für eine nachhaltige Zukunft?

05.07.2023, Dresden | Visions-Workshop "Regionale Wertschöpfungskette Hülsenfrüchte Dresden und Region" (geschlossene Veranstaltung)

06.-07.07.2023, Zittau | 26. Fachtagung "Nutzung nachwachsender Rohstoffe - Biomass to power and heat"

12.07.2023, Südbrandenburg | Agroforst Sommerexkursion und 5. Lausitzer Agroforst-Stammtisch des Deutschen Fachverbands für Agroforstwirtschaft DeFAF e. V.

21.-23.07.2023, Freiburg | Agrikultur- Festival 

04.09.2023 | Deadline für die Einreichung von Projektskizzen für den Modellregionenwettbewerb "Ernähungswende in der Region"

27.-28.09.2023, Freiburg | 8. Forum Agroforstsysteme: Landwirtschaft anders denken

05.-07.11.2023, Leipzig | ISS GUT! Fachmesse für Gastgewerbe und Ernährungshandwerk

08.11.2023, Leipzig | Zukunftskonferenz des Stadt-Land-Plus-Projektes WertVoll

05.-06.12.2023, Brussels | #Food2030 Conference: Green and Resilient Food Systems

jeden 1. Fr im Monat, online | AgiL-Sprechstunde für regionale Wertschöpfung

This newsletter is published by the City of Dresden as the responsible partner for public relations in the OLGA project, which is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research as part of the Stadt-Land-Plus programme.

City of Dresden
Office for Urban Strategies, International Affairs and Citizenship
Dr.-Külz-Ring 19
01067 Dresden

Editor: Anke Hahn | Contact
With contributions by Anke Hahn, Tobias Käcks, Veronica Schmidt-Cotta

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