Ingredients:

• 250 g Pasta
• 30 ml organic rapeseed oil ‘Bruschetta’ or ‘Garlic” from Aljotti
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 fresh chilli pepper
• ½ bunch of parsley
• salt and pepper
• Optional: freshly grated parmesan cheese

Cooking instructions:

1. Finely dice or chop the garlic cloves, chilli pepper and parsley stalks and fry lightly in a pan with the rapeseed oil – low oil temperature, do not brown too much
   
   
   
2. Cook the pasta in salted water at the same time  
   
   
   
3. Shortly before the pasta is ready, add a little salted water (approx. 100ml) to the pan with the oil. CAUTION: Reduce the temperature of the oil in the pan beforehand 
   
   
   
4. Drain the pasta and finish cooking in the pan with the oil, garlic and parsley
   
   
   
5. Season to taste with salt and pepper – done.
   
   
   
   

Tip: Serve the dish with Parmesan cheese as a topping, depending on your taste!

But how does the title of the “flying cheesemakers” come about? 

Can cheesemakers really fly? 

In the meantime, there are indeed a considerable number of mobile cheesemakers in Germany who travel from farm to farm with their equipment and offer their services to dairy farmers. The “flying cheesemaker” brings almost everything with him that is needed to make good cheese: the kettles, the rennet, moulds and sieves, the cheese harp, salt, any herbs and spices that may be needed, and of course the necessary know-how. 

The farmer provides – the fresh milk! 

Directly on the farm the milk is then freshly milked and turned into cheese. The cheesemaker takes the fresh, soft cheese loafs to his ripening rooms and brings the finished cheese back with him on his next visit to the farm. Voila – this is how the circle closes. 

The thought behind this business idea is to open up the possibility of producing your own farm cheese to more dairy farmers. Setting up and running your own cheese dairy on the farm requires a high initial investment as well as a lot of knowledge and/or experience. It is therefore a very big step. In addition, the farmer must officially take part in further training courses in the cheese-making trade and must comply with many and various requirements, hygiene regulations, etc. All these basic conditions are intended to guarantee the quality of the resulting food and of course ultimately serve to protect the consumer. Nevertheless, for many dairy farmers who are keen to experiment, they represent an obstacle to cheese production and thus often to direct marketing. In my daily exchanges with farmers, I come across this topic more and more often, especially today, when diversification and direct marketing are once again coming into focus. 

We think that mobile cheese dairies offer a great solution here, and we say “Bravo”!   

Linda and her partner Tilmann von Bauer Freigeist have also learned their cheese-making craft as “trainees” in a mobile cheese dairy. The experience they gained there enabled them to take the big step in summer 2019 and make their dream of their own cheese dairy in Gardelegen come true. Meanwhile they create there with a lot of love and skill their organic cow cheese in many colourful varieties and send it plastic-free to you CrowdFarmers. 

Have you already discovered their organic cow cheese project, or the stronger, new organic Tilsiter or Rauchi cheese? 

During 4 days, we got familiar with different projects that are being developed in Spain. We gathered a group of people who are passionate about sustainable agriculture and went on a road trip through the Murcia and Granada regions, where we got to know some of them first-hand. 

First and second stations – Bullas, Murcia – A “regenerative beekeeper” and an eco-shop 

We started our route in the Bullas village (Murcia), where we met Miguel Campoy who was waiting for us. Young farmer and lover of life, he introduced us to what they are up to at “Ecotienda la Artesa”, an ecological and social center where we can find local products and varieties, as well as products in bulk (Zero-waste/unpacked). Little by little, their shelves were filled by farmers who were enthusiastic about discovering where to sell “almost” forgotten local products.

Afterwards, he took us to see his little secret corner next to Rambla del Aceniche. In this corner of biodiversity, almond and fruit trees, artichokes and all the spontaneous vegetation of the area are flowering. The soil hasn’t been worked for many years, something we could notice when we started digging the earth. The dark horizontal layers indicate the organic matter and humidity, and we found insects and worms. Here, his bees produce a delicious “regeneratively farmed” honey. After the honey tasting Miguel offered us, we got on our way to the next station, leaving behind a gorgeous sunset filled with bees returning to their hives. 

Third station – Regeneration Academy – a place of learning and exchange

In less than an hour, we arrived to La Junquera farm, with the “Regeneration Academy” as its base. This academy was founded many years ago with a very clear idea: education is the most powerful tool to promote the change towards regenerative agriculture. 

Here, we got the opportunity to discover Finca La Junquera’s secrets taught by Jacobo Monereo, one of the academy’s teachers. The farm is the perfect practise field to kick-start projects developed with the students. Students from different countries come here for courses of many months and internships during their studies. Furthermore, courses about business entrepreneurship in the agricultural world are imparted along the year, covering subjects such as commercialization or marketing of their products. 

AlVeLal and the 4 returns

At La Junquera farm, we learned about the work of the AlVeLal association. This association is formed by numerous farmers from Murcia, Almería and Granada who work pursuing 4 principles:

• Return of the inspiration for agricultural work
• Return of the social capital involved in agriculture
• Return of the financial capital 
• Return of the natural capital

Source: Commonland, the 4 returns

The farmer Miguel Martínez Pozo, who is part of the CrowdFarming family, is also part of this association. His farm “El Entredicho” has been different from other walnut farms for many years. Between the walnut trees, we can observe the sheep who graze during the year, eliminating the bad weed and fertilizing the soil. This way, they avoid working the soil and thus reduce its erosion while it stores the atmosphere’s CO2.

References

• AlveLal [Online] at: <https://alvelal.wixsite.com/website-6> [Accessed in June 2020]
• Commonland, [Online] at: <https://www.commonland.com/4-returns/> [Accessed in June 2020]
• Regeneration Academy, [Online] at: <https://www.regeneration-academy.org/?locale=en>[Accessed in June 2020]
• Regeorganic, [Online] at: <https://regenorganic.org/> [Accessed in June 2020]

Note: this article has a first part where we explain everything you need to know about regenerative agriculture.

What is regenerative agriculture? Until now, we heard a lot about different types of agriculture: conventional, organic, soil conservation agriculture, and some of us are even familiar with permaculture. All these practices are fundamentally different in their respective farming methods, which allows to label each farmer’s way of producing food. Organic agriculture stands out since it is certified on a global scale, and then further defined by a specific framework within the European Union.

What is regenerative agriculture? 

In the case of regenerative agriculture (RA), there are no specific guidelines which would make you say “Ta-dah! I belong to the regenerative farmers group!”

At the moment, and as opposed to organic agriculture, there aren’t any particular norms in place that would define this type of agriculture. – the certificate “Regenorganic” is however already underway and planned to be available in the course of 2020. Despite the (yet) missing certification, there is a very clear philosophy: To regenerate, which doesn’t only involve avoiding any damage to the environment, but also to actively generate a positive impact.   

RA is a system of principles and practices that:

• Increases biodiversity
• Improves the quality of the soil (organic matter) 
• Reduces the inputs necessary for farming (fuel, fertilizers and pesticides)
• Increases ecosystem services

The objective of these actions is to improve the agricultural systems and their involved and surrounding communities through:

• Maximizing the capture of carbon in the atmosphere and reducing the effect of climate change while maintaining productive farming systems.

• On the socio-economic aspect, RA looks to:
– Improve agricultural yields
– Increase the resistance to climate and market variation
– Revive agricultural communities

But… How can soil store carbon?

Soils contain carbon, some more than others. A very important part of soil is the organic matter, formed by big carbon molecules, similar to those in CO2 which contribute to global warming.

Organic matter is always present in a healthy soil (i.e. in the form of humus), as its role is to regulate the pH balance, retain water, facilitate the access to nutrients, and a long list of beneficial effects.

The more organic matter is present in the soil, the healthier and more alive it is, as the organic matter is the food, product and habitat of many organisms. A long time ago, the surface of the the earth was entirely covered with permanent vegetation and soils had on average much more organic matter than today.  Many times, our use of the earth for construction or some types of agriculture destroys the soil structure and this results in the depletion of organic matter.

The global objective of RA is to mitigate climate change and to create healthy and sustainable agro-ecosystems. Systems that, in the long run, could work with the existing water and nutrient resources, through the maximum regeneration of soils and ecosystems. 

In short: Recovering the health of soils and biodiversity, returning as much as possible to the agriculture of the past.

As you can see, RA isn’t defined by a label, but by the objective that it pursues. To reach an objective, there isn’t only one path but many. For this reason, many principles are established which may or may not be applied to a different degree. The main ones are: 

1 – To minimize or eliminate tillage/ploughing: less soil perturbation.

By not breaking the top layer of the soil, we seek to maintain more humidity in the ground and keep it from  “breathing carbon” (when the soil is ploughed, its carbon fixation is reduced, thus releasing CO2 into the atmosphere)   

2 – To protect the soil (Cover crops): We seek the best protection of the soil. 

Maintaining the soil protected in order to eliminate erosion is fundamental, this way we facilitate the accumulation of organic matter. If it rains on a “naked” soil, the rain will wash away a layer of the topsoil.  But if the soil is covered with plants and held together by roots, water cannot run on its surface carrying part of the soil.

3 – Increase biodiversity and cultivate perennial species. 

• An ecosystem formed by numerous species generates a high biomass and a better circulation of nutrients, and is also more stable when perturbations arise.

• Perennial species have a longer life, during which they have time to develop more roots and explore deeper parts of the soil, stimulating the soil’s life and improving its structure on a deeper level. Furthermore, they can benefit from resources present in deeper soil layers which aren’t normally exploited. 

4 – Integrate livestock: through integral grazing which improves crops diversity and nutrient recycling (https://regenerationinternational.org/2017/02/24/what-is-regenerative-agriculture/).

Ruminants are magnificent beings and possess a unique skill: they know how to absorb This is something us humans aren’t able to do. This is something we don’t have the ability to do. They also add manure to the fields, which is full of nutrients and provides food and shelter for many insects. Furthermore, they decorate the countryside in a very pretty way adding value to landscapes and tourism.

We can say that regenerative agriculture is a combination of already known elements: it combines conservation agriculture, holistic grazing, an increased biodiversity, and often organic agriculture. 


Note: this article has a second part where we show different excursions that we have made to farms with regenerative farming practices.

Within the quality scheme initiative, three different labels were introduced to clearly indicate  to the consumer when a product is historically linked to a specific area, or when unique traditional techniques are used. Most countries within the European Union have already certified some products or are in the process of application. You can see the products of each country in the DOOR-database of the European Union. Maybe you have you spotted them already in your own region, doing your grocery shopping? You can recognize these products  by their yellow-red or yellow-blue coloured labels. They are the same for each of the country (only the words change) and they look as follows:

P.D.O. stands for protected designation of origin, foods wearing this labels have proven the strongest connection to the area where they are produced. It guarantees that each step (production, processing, preparation) must have taken place in the defined town, region or state.  The product must have been clearly shaped by the specific conditions of this place and developed it to what it is known for – location and the food characteristics must show a clear connection. 

Do you know the Styrian scarlet runner bean (Steirische Käferbohne)? 

A vibrant pink or purple, dark-spotted and 2,5cm (!) long bean which gives an impressive image and is a main ingredient in the Styrian cuisine, often combined with Styrian pumpkin seed oil (PGI). Seed production, cultivating, and processing of this bean must take place in the designated area of Eastern Austria, where the mineral-rich limey clays, early humid spring and rainy summer offer the perfect conditions for this cold-resistant bean to flourish. For almost two centuries local farmers have developed and optimized varieties and local cultivation techniques such as gardens with complicated climbing-aids or intercropping with maize. In the latter option, the maize serves as climbing-aid for the bean, while the bean plant supplies valuable Nitrogen to the maize and soil. Both plants benefit, as does the farmer: The two crops ripen at the same time and can be harvested with a combine harvester in one process. Today, the bright red flowers are a fixed part of the Styrian landscape. And, the purple beans have advanced from a basic country dish to a healthy, fiber- and protein-rich ingredient used  for modern cooking. The styrian scarlet runner bean has been registered as a PGI in 2016. 

P.G.I. stands for protected geographical indication and proves a direct connection between the product’s quality or characteristics and the respective geographical area. At least one of the stages (production, processing or preparation) must  take place in the indicated region. However, the primary material can be sourced from outside. As in P.D.O., the region is often mentioned in the protected product name, however this isn’t a necessary requirement.


Did you know the Spreewald gherkins (Spreewälder Gurken)? 

The Spreewald (Spreeforest, UNESCO world heritage) is an idyllic forest swamp area in Eastern Germany shaped by the river Spree with its natural vast ramification. The many river branches have been extended by farmers to over 200 small canals forming a traditional irrigation system. These conditions combined with the moist soils, rich in humus, are conducive and favorable to cucumber growing in that area – the crop that has been the region’s most important for centuries. Generations ago, the  cucumbers were   transported in canoes through the canals after harvest and then traded within and outside of the country. To be able to enjoy the vegetable in season and in the winter months,  the local population came up with recipes for vinegar preservation and developed the famous recipes for Spreewald gherkins over time. Finely tuned processing and ingredients, herbs and spices, its special taste and crunchiness made the Spreewald gherkin outstanding and they were registered as a product with protected geographical indication in 1999. Processing must  take place in the Spreewald region in order to obtain this classification, and 70 percent of all cucumbers must stem from here. 

T.S.G. stands for traditional specialities guaranteed and aims to protect food and recipes with a proven specific character, special quality and tradition from copying, without linking to a region. Only products created  in the traditional manner, recipes that haven’t changed for at least 30 years, are allowed to boast the registered name.  

Did you know Hushållsost? 

Swedish Hushållsost (ost = cheese, “household cheese”) is the result of long, cold winters and the need for Swedish farmers to make their own cheese with simple household tools, and to  stock up for the months when cow milk was less available. Over centuries these small, simple cheeses were formed in farm houses, and from the end of the 19th century the name Hushållsost appeared. Its taste is mild and creamy, with little aftertaste. However, it is excellent for storing, even if the cheese mould is already cut open, and after the first two months of minimum ripening the taste will gradually evolve. Since 2004 Hushållsost is registered as guaranteed traditional speciality , but only if the production process follows the official traditional recipe can it wear the label. 

Which advantages do these labels bring? 

The strict control and auditing network assures that labeled products really comply with the rules, recipes and regulations defined for each product. As a consumer you can be confident that you are buying a high-quality product with a unique story  and characteristics . But, these labels do not only have an impact on the consumer side – I believe there are many more advantages. As the list of registered PDO, PGI, TSG products grows, I believe that these labels can contribute to sustainable development.

Fostering the production and thus the producers of these registered foods means supporting mostly small businesses and farms. You will mainly find small local farmers and manufacturers that see new incentives to continue working in their traditional way and keep old knowledge and practices alive. These labels open better markets to the producers and mean an alternative to mass-production of modern, standardized foods. For consumers, these products often offer a way to support also small businesses instead of the big food companies and to add more variety to our more and more standardized diet. The that is brought to them by the EU-Food-Quality scheme can help recover agrobiodiversity.  

This is not only vital for resilient agro-ecosystems but also rural development of the regions as a whole: With regional specialities and traditions, tourism around this heritage can evolve and the attractiveness of rural areas raised.

Concrete examples of farmers already using these labels: 

• Cheese producer Sebastien, PDO Ossau-Iraty sheep cheese, France 
• Cow farmer Ghislain, traditional Comté, France 
• Farmer Carlos, PDO saffron La Mancha, Spain