HSWT International: Bachelor Summer Semester on a cycling excursion

The study trip, organised by lecturer Dr. Bernd Müller as part of the 'Agriculture and Food Industry in Germany' module, first took the group to Ornbau. There they visited Mr Robert Sand's pig farm. The family farm has a "cave barn" with a capacity of around 150 animals. The pigs are out in the fresh air all year round and the warm caves in the barns give them shelter and security. Since 2000, Mr Sand has developed a direct marketing business with a butcher's shop, which contributes significantly to the farm's sustainable profitability. After visiting the pig farm in Ornbau, the group cycled to the butcher's shop, 15 minutes from the farm. It was a fascinating experience for the participants to watch the meat being processed into various products such as sausages. Afterwards, Mr Sand treated everyone to a delicious lunch of his own pork and chicken products. The international group thanked the Sand family and said goodbye.

The excursion continued to the Bird Island in the lake Altmühlsee, 10 km away, to explore nature and learn about agricultural meadow breeding programmes. This remarkable reserve encompasses a variety of habitats, including open water, shallow water, reed beds, wet meadows and scrubland, creating a diverse environment that favours a wide range of species.

The group then cycled to the Beyser family dairy farm in Hirschlach, with 120 dairy cows and biogas production, located four kilometres from the university campus. During a guided tour by Tobias Beyser, the students were shown the system used on the farm for keeping cows and calves, how the milking system works, how milking takes place, how the milk gets from the milking parlour to the storage tank and how the cooling system works. It was also a pleasure to learn how the biogas production process works, how many kilowatts are produced per day and how many houses are supplied with it. The main labour is provided by the farming family, who only have one permanent employee.Only when it comes to harvesting the various crops and making silage is additional labour hired from outside the family.It was a good opportunity for the group to visit this farm and learn how a typical dairy farm in Germany works.

The overall conclusion was that it was a fruitful and educational excursion. One participant commented afterwards: "I am totally exhausted physically, but emotionally and from the experiences we had, totally overwhelmed".

• Back to list