The German ‘Weideaustrieb’

„Enough space to feel good“

Numerous visitors accepted Anne and Ralf Collmann’s invitation to Filsum on Saturday, 13 April 2024, to immerse themselves in farming on their pasture dairy farm. In addition to the spectacle of the joyful dairy cows, there was once again a colourful supporting programme for young and old, which was also intended to encourage discussions on topics relating to pasture farming. Under the motto “Enough space to feel good”, “feel-good spaces” were created for visitors and aspects of well-being for cows were highlighted. Visitors could learn more about the craft of farming and the responsibility of humans towards animals through farm tours, information stands and interactive activities such as the farm rally.

„Pasture from the root“

After the “coronavirus years”, the grazing season will once again take place as a major public event on 22 April 2023 at the Wemken family’s pasture dairy farm in Wiefelstede. The festive event is not only a matter close to the heart of Arno Krause, Managing Director of the Grassland Centre Lower Saxony/Bremen and PRO WEIDELAND, which aims to “bring agriculture and society closer together”. For the two equal farm managers Holger and Theis Wemken, the annual grazing period after the stable period is also something very special: “The animals are happy, so we are happy too”.

Keeping in mind that more and more farmers tend to give up pasture farming, it is important to maintain the diversity of production systems despite the additional costs. For the two farm managers, the decision “in favour of pasture” is clear, as the welfare of the cows is their top priority. The conclusion of the day? “Our aim is for agriculture and society to talk less about each other and more with each other – and that worked well today. The number of visitors exceeded our expectations,” says Arno Krause. “We never thought that so many people would be interested in our farm and grazing, we are absolutely thrilled,” say Holger and Theis Wemken.

„Kids open the barn doors“

On 20 April 2022, the pupils from the Ofen Primary School opened the barn doors for the Diers family’s cows. The cows could feel the excitement of everyone. They had gathered in front of the gate of the barn where they had spent the winter months and were waiting impatiently for their grand entrance. When the children opened the barn doors and cut the red ribbon to a round of applause, the black-and-whites were unstoppable. In just a few minutes, the 130 dairy cows jumped, hopped and galloped out towards the green spring pastures. A colourful supporting programme rounded off the exciting school trip for the primary school children: The programme included a tour of the farm on the path of milk, wooden cow milking and much more. The children were even presented with a certificate at the end of the programme.

„Weideaustrieb despite Corona“

Despite the coronavirus, the official starting signal for the pasture season was given on Thursday, 15 April 2021, on a dairy farm in the East Frisian town of Südbrookmerland in the district of Aurich – a spectacle worth seeing. The dairy cows couldn’t wait for farmer Frerich Meyenburg to open the barn door. The 130 cows stormed through a cow tunnel in two sections into the new grazing season. With exuberant buck jumps, they romped onto the lush spring grass and fought their first rank battles. With their rough tongues, they tore out whole tufts of grass and nibbled on the first morsels of fresh grass.

„The digital Weideaustrieb“

Even though the grazing event on 4 April 2020 unfortunately had to take place behind closed doors due to the coronavirus, it was once again an animal-friendly experience – including a live stream and video messages.

The new format was developed so that society could take part in the event and still stay safe and healthy at home. Where last year almost 2000 people lined the driveways, there is a yawning emptiness this year. Zero visitors are allowed onto the farm “Auf der Wurp” in Brake, where “the highlight of the year” is taking place today, as farm manager Heiko Holthusen says. For him and the whole farm, the grazing season is “always a particularly joyful day”. The farmers want to share the joy and show that they are there for the consumers.

The animals also feel the excitement. They have gathered in front of the gate of the barn where they have spent the winter months and are waiting impatiently for their grand entrance. Lower Saxony’s Minister of Agriculture Barbara Otte-Kinast and Minister of the Environment Olaf Lies, who are co-sponsoring the event this time, should have opened the gate. While the ministers sent their greetings in video messages, Jendrik Holthusen, successor to the farm, stood by the barn door. He sent the 200 animals out onto the pastures in two groups.

The programme for the 4th of April had been planned for a long time. For weeks, pupils from Brake Grammar School, with the support of the Grassland Centre Lower Saxony/Bremen, had been working on social issues and questions relating to biodiversity, animal welfare and health, climate and grassland, as well as nutrient flows and water conservation. These are all topics that are directly related to pasture farming and can be brought to the public in a tangible way through the event. The Oldenburgisch-Ostfriesischer Wasserverband (OOWV), a first-time cooperation partner for the grazing season, and other scheduled participants also regret that the grazing season has to take place without the public – however, everyone was sympathetic to the move to the digital world.

„Cows & concert“

1500 visitors celebrated the opening of the 2019 grazing season with us. On the Holthusen family’s Wurp farm, the barn doors opened on 13 April for 200 dairy cows, which ran and jumped to pasture in front of the many visitors. The popular animal spectacle was accompanied by live music and entertainment on stage, food trucks, coffee and cake stands, VIP seating in the pasture, farm tours, pony rides, a straw slide, bouncy castle, an Ammerländer farm quiz and much more for the whole family.