Agroforestry system with various chestnuts on the “Good Food Syndicate” farm

The farm is an organic vegetable farm in Großwoltersdorf in the northern Havelland area. Vegetables, herbs and fruit are grown organically on three hectares of leased land. Lena and Philipp Adler are thus realising their vision of sustainable land use that produces sustainable, high-quality food while creating ecological and social added value.

So far, the farmland has been affected by drought and heat stress. Despite the slight slope, there were also signs of erosion. To adapt to the climate, an agroforestry system with 54 root-trained chestnut trees was planted in March 2023. The tested varieties are pest-resistant.

Soil health and biodiversity are the main focus. The trees came from the Resilia tree nursery, which specialises in nut-bearing trees adapted to climate change.

Positive effects of the agroforestry system:

• Building up soil fertility
• Wind protection and shading
• Stabilisation of the microclimate
• Strengthening biodiversity
• Increase of the water absorption capacity

The planting included protective measures against rabbits, roe deer and voles. In addition, coir mulch mats were used to suppress overgrowth in the first few years and reduce the necessary maintenance measures. The system was financed by the Daniel Schlegel Umweltstiftung. Klimapraxis initiated the project and supervised the planning of the participants.

By funding this project, the Daniel Schlegel Umweltstiftung is supporting the transformation of land in favour of ecological and regenerative agriculture, which strengthens soil fertility, biodiversity and cooling.