Photo: B. Kruse

Thanks to its location on the edge of the Hamburg city line, Gut Wulfsdorf is easily accessible by public transportation and thus almost predestined as a location for school field trips and visits from other groups. The young visitors can get to know the farm and its animals in various learning formats. Depending on the season, they for example may help out on the fields or dig for potatoes. In the so-called “Green Classroom” on the ground floor of a historic water tower building, they start preparing what they have harvested and make soup or yogurt, dry herbs or churn butter. “Healthy food and food production are just some of the topics that are specially presented to the children and young people here,” said SAGST project manager Markus Kleikemper. “In practical activities they also learn some of the foundational principles of biodynamic gardening – for example the concept of cyclical agriculture or the importance of animal welfare.”

To meet the increasing interest of schools, kindergartens, and families (despite the limitations of the Corona pandemic), the farm’s leaders have, with SAGST support, expanded the learning farm’s attractions. A sheep pen with open fencing and a mobile chicken coop now offer two additional opportunities for learning and experiencing outdoors. A three-kilometer walking path through farm, fields, and meadows was redesigned and enriched with informative learning boards. These allow visitors to explore parts of the farm’s grounds without a tour. Since its founding, Gut Wulfsdorf has repeatedly expanded and adapted its educational experience, for example, by creating wet biotopes and – also with SAGST’s support – planting several orchards.