7th GRUNDTVIG Partnership Meeting in Slovenia

Grundtvig Learning Partnership Project

»Adult education strategies in making best compost and treating of manure practices in order to highlight better food quality and reduction of the nutrition losses with regards of social, initiative and entrepreneurship key competencies«

 

 Slovenian Project No.: 2013-1-Sl1-GRU06-05514 1

Duration: 1. August 2013 to 31. July 2015

 

Partners of the project:
Germany: Forschungsring für Biologisch-Dynamische Wirtschaftsweise e.V.
Denmark: Foreningen for Biodynamisk Jordbrug
Croatia: Centar Dr. Rudolfa Steinera (confirmation pending)
Slovenia: Društvo za biološko-dinamično gospodarjenje Podravje.

Minutes of the 7th Meeting in Slovenia, 24. - 26. April 2015

 

Agenda for the 7th and Final Partnership Meeting in Slovenia

 Friday, 24. April 2015

18.00   Common supper
19.00   Welcome, sharing some actual stories, talking and enjoy socializing with each other

Saturday, 25. April 2015
9.00 – 13:00   workshop: digging preparation and  review of the impact on the compost pile on the

                         Farm  Purgaj, Cerkvenjak

13:00 – 14:00 Lunch time on farm Purgaj

14:00 -15:00   Visit on farm Grager, Cerkvenjak - Biodynamic horticulture 
15:00- 17:30   Visit on Zorjan’s farm, Tinjska gora - Traditional, biodynamic and innovative approach

                          to viticulture and farming with degustation of  vine from amphora

                                                                   

17:30 – 19:00: Plenary session: monitoring, tasks have to be done to the end of the project,   
                          evaluation, other project formalities, agreements
19:00 -              Dinner on the Zorjan’s farm with exchanging of daily impression

Sunday, 26. April 2015

9.00 – 11:00    Introducement into Formative forces Science by Dorian Schmidt on The Faculty
                          of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Pivola
11:00 - 11:30  Coffee and tea break
11:30 – 13:30 Experiment on sprayed field, collecting impression, questions, suggestions, etc. 

14:00 – 15:30  Lunch time with exchanging of experiences between guests
16:00 – 19:00  Visit on Šuman´s farm and viticulture, Zavrh

Introductory hours on Friday evening passed in friendly atmosphere with exchanging of information, with the establishment of the internal cohesion for the group members, with overview of detailed working plan and announcement of followed event.

 

1^st Day: Saturday, 25^th April 2015

Topic: Workshop of digging preparation, compost preparation with observation of the impact on the compost pile

Location: Farm Purgaj, Cerkvenjak

Duration: 09:00-13:00

Present: Uli Johannes König, Meike Oltmanns, Ulrike König, Erik Frydenlund, Niels Jensen, Dayana Vitorino, Sandra Percać, Jasminka Iličić, Ivo Košak, Drago Purgaj, Sonja Purgaj, Radovan Šuman, Vesna Čuček, Jolanda Lešnik and 18 learners

Summary:

BD preparats are crucial for making good humus according to their influence on the soil and the plants (food) so why special attention has to be oriented to compost pile and managing of biodynamic preparation.

In this workshop participants dig out preparations from earth and observe what the result of one year process is for:

-        Preparation 500 from horn manure which helps to stimulate soil vitality

-          Preparation 503 from Chamomile

-          Preparation 505 from Oak bark

-          Preparation 506 from Dandelion

For biodynamic preparation of compost pile the next six preparations are used:

-        Preparation 502 form Yarrow 

-          Preparation 503 from Chamomile

-          Preparation 504 from Stinging Nettle

-          Preparation 505 from Oak bark

-          Preparation 506 from Dandelion

-          Preparation 507 from Valerian

Mr. Purgaj brought all needed mature preparations from previous year and gave the instruction how and where to put them into compost pile.

 

  

 

The project participants and learners then got an opportunity to use method “learning by doing” and have experienced how to insert six preparations into compost pile.

  

The six compost preparations are used to treat garden compost. Their purpose is to regulate the many organic processes taking place inside an active compost heap. Each preparation has its own unique function in relation to the various soil nutrient processes. Working together they help to bring harmony, balance and stability to the soil.                             

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Although the last year was rained above average it seems that excavated preparations contain too much moisture and this is a recognised as good lesson of possible risks. 

 

Erik said: “When the preparations is taken out from the soil we should use our nose (SMELL), and the information that nose is giving us. If the smell is nice and aromatic, the preparation is OK, if it stinks or smells of silage or fresh manure than the preparation has not transformed in a good way and the preparation is not good. The only exception is the oak bark preparation, since it is sometimes lying in water and therefore anaerobic condition, it can stink when it is taken up, but usually it will smell good after a week.

Topic: Visit to biodynamic horticulture garden

 

Location: Leon Grager and Jana Balažič farm, Čagona 34, Cerkvenjak

Duration: 13:30 -15

Present: Uli Johannes König, Meike Oltmanns, Ulrike König, Erik Frydenlund, Niels Jensen, Dayana Vitorino, Sandra Percać, Jasminka Iličić, Ivo Košak, Drago Purgaj, Sonja Purgaj, Radovan Šuman, Vesna Čuček, Jolanda Lešnik and 10 learners

 

Summary:

Second destination of this day was only a 2, 6 km or 5 minutes away from Purgaj´s farm. Leon and Jana are owners of meadows where about 35 ships graze. There are already pigs on the farm and for purpose of getting manure they plan to have also cows in the future. All food for animals they produce on the farm and also some of season fruit, vegetables and seeds for their own consumption and reproduction.

 

 

 

 

Jana takes care for garden on the principle of small strand with various kinds of the autochthonous vegetables and herbs.

 

 

 

 

She also makes her own marmalade, juices and other finished products taken from plants out of her garden.

 

Topic: Traditional, biodynamic and innovative approach to viticulture and farming

Location: Farm ZORJAN, Tinjska gora 90, 2316 Ložnica

Present: Uli Johannes König, Meike Oltmanns, Ulrike König, Erik Frydenlund, Niels Jensen, Dayana Vitorino, Sandra Percać, Jasminka Iličić, Ivo Košak, Drago Purgaj, Sonja Purgaj, Radovan Šuman, Vesna Čuček, Jolanda Lešnik

Summary:

Sustainable farming on farm Zorjan began after 1990 while they recognise that only connection with nature and respect for the law of nature can be future prospective.

 

Mr. Zorjan has explained that he had been doing an experiment on wine growing in amphora for several years and he realised that theirs vineyards was too much fertilized with horse manure. When he stopped with such fertilization, the wine becomes better and now he is preparing their own humus pile and use BD preparats to improving soil.

 

 

With degustation of vine from amphora the participants can taste wine after three years process of growing.

 

They also produce their own seeds on the farm and have a separate room for storage them.

 

 

2^nd day: Sunday, 26^th April 2015

Topic: Introducement into Formative forces Science by Dorian Schmidt

Location: The Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Pivola near Maribor

Duration: 9:00 – 14:30

Present: Uli Johannes König, Meike Oltmanns, Ulrike König, Erik Frydenlund, Niels Jensen, Dayana Vitorino, Sandra Percać, Jasminka Iličić, Ivo Košak, Drago Purgaj, Sonja Purgaj, Radovan Šuman, Vesna Čuček, Jolanda Lešnik and more than 70 learners

Summary:

Mr. Uli Johannes König gave an introduction to understanding of formative forces science and Mr. Matjaž Turinek did excellent translation for the Slovenia audience

This is a quite new method which was established by Dorian Schmidt. The method is not yet validated according to scientific criteria. However, it is supposable that this is possible, similar to the sensory analyses.

Applying this method, man becomes an instrument, which is similar in sensory analyses. The point is to measure the effect on the own liveliness. By appropriate training of the attentiveness, much differentiated effects of food can be perceived. In contrast to sensory analyses – which trains the degustation – the research on formative forces is about the training of the alertness for the own body and the own liveliness. This ability is in typically poorly developed in most people.

Since several years, the presented method is successfully applied in biodynamic research for very different questions. Well-grounded and experienced observers obtain more exact results than it is possible with other known methods. The results point in general in the same direction as those of e.g. picture-forming methods, but are more precise.

 

After lecture the two experiments had been done in order to collect impressions and feelings

1^st Experiment:

Participants got a cup of coffee and a cup of green tea and then they were invited in lobby of Faculty to express what they feel. Participants had detected the difference after drinking coffee or green tea. very well.   

 2^nd Experiment:

Participants were invited to the Faculty experimental field which was previous partly sprayed with BD preparats from cow manure developed by Maria Thun. We can hear different perceptions of participants about difference between sprayed and non-sprayed part of field and all of them can feel and describe significant difference.
 

Topic: Eko - biodynamic viticulture                                                                                                    

Location: Viticukture farm Šuman, Zavrh 90a, SI-2232 Voličina

Duration: 17 – 20:30

Present: Uli Johannes König, Meike Oltmanns, Ulrike König, Erik Frydenlund, Niels Jensen, Dayana Vitorino, Sandra Percać, Jasminka Iličić, Ivo Košak, Drago Purgaj, Sonja Purgaj, Radovan Šuman, Vesna Čuček, Jolanda Lešnik

In the middle of hilly landscape of Slovenske gorice, at the ridge of the hill, lay wine growing homestead ŠUMAN which originates from the 14^th century. Current master Rado together with his wife Simona enthusiastically nurtured the tradition. The vine nourishes, but not quite in the sense of influencing it, but in the philosophy of working with her, which also indicates organic farming practices

 

            

 

Rado Šuman cultivates 7 hectares of wine yards. These wine yards are on three locations, there is a fence around them in which 40 sheep ouessant are grazing. This sheep are small, 7-8 adult animals per hectare is ideal. Rado has come to conclusion, that it is the best for his farm, to prepare compost from the material that is produced within his farm.  First part of the material for the compost is from the sheep manure (deep litter), second part of the material is from the grapes pressing process – the refuse of grapes= marc, third part is from the wine producing process in the cellar – sediments from the barrels. He also uses the dry matter that is the rest of the process of pressing oil from the grapes seeds; around 500 kg per year, this matter is used for special composts, which are very important to strengthen the plant vitality. Green material is used for the compost according to needs – with a focus. If he cuts the nettle he brings the iron, if he uses oak he adds tannins and calcium.

           

     

CONCLUSIONS:

1.    Chosen topic for STORY BOOKLET is 15^th point of proposal (template): What did you learn from other project partner in terms of compost making through adult education, building social and entrepreneur skills through reflection, awareness raising, empowerment and positive personal experience

 

2. The project partners will contribute an article for STORY BOOKLET till 30^th June 2015

 

3. Each project partner will disseminate the results through seminars, workshops, electronic Story booklet,  web sites and with disseminating of information

 

4. Partners had established that there is an interest for further cooperation

 Wrote: Jolanda Lešnik