Photo: Catharina Frank

Ten years ago, the future of the Domäne Hofmeierei was unclear, and a plan was put forth to use the site for exclusively commercial use or only for specific target groups. Then something outrageous happened in Darmstadt: resistance developed in the form of civil engagement as Darmstadt residents founded an initiative called the “Initiative Domäne Oberfeld e.V.” The purpose of the initiative was not merely to protest, but to offer a positive alternative and a communally-oriented vision. From the beginning, this exemplary model of civil engagement found resonance with the Software AG Foundation. As a foundation, we were only able to become involved thanks to the initiative's holistic approach - according to our charter, the foundation does not support agriculture per se, but non-profit initiatives.

And in the case of Oberfeld Farm, from the beginning, it was always a matter of much more than “just” farming. The focus was – and remains – a combination of education, social therapy, and culture. Organic farming provides the soil that allows everything else to flourish. The support provided by the Software AG Foundation was thus, from the beginning, two-pronged. First, the land speculation had to be stopped, and dedicated individuals had to be found. Second, we wanted to support the entire project in its existing diversity. Thus, in past years, the foundation has supported a wide variety of non-profit topics: from pedagogy in the learning farm, to disability support in the Lebensweg House, to civil engagement, to plant breeding and agricultural research projects. This support is bearing fruit. At Oberfeld Farm, it's easy to see that good things always happen when many people get together to do something great - something that goes far beyond self-interest. “Cooperation beats ingenuity” - that's how GLS Bank co-founder Wilhelm Ernst Barkhoff once put it. He meant that today, success is less a matter of individual personalities or of great genius; it's a matter of many people working together constructively in one community for a common goal. That is also what we're about as a foundation: strengthening the cooperation of committed individuals, so that all participants grow as people and enabling projects that increase well-being.  

In this spirit, we wish for the Oberfeld farm that it will continue to be supported by this communal spirit. We are pleased to be able to continue to support the diverse initiatives that make up the project as a whole!

Achim Grenz

Executive Managing Director, Software AG – Stiftung

Greetings from the anniversary brochure of Oberfeld Farm