Active contribution to climate protection in Schleswig-Holstein

R4D-pilot farm Lindhof converts 1 hectare drained arable land on peat soil into permanent grassland and allows controlled rewetting.

In the presence of numerous journalists, an innovative water level regulation system was installed on May 11, 2023 and the rewetting of a moor area previously used for arable forage production was initiated.

The technical implementation was funded by the private environmental fund “Hartwig”

In addition to reducing the negative impact on climate change, the aim of the measure is to increase biodiversity. In future the area will be used as low-input pasture for beef production based on heifers not needed for replacement on the dairy farm Lindhof.

Background: Under the same conditions, more carbon is stored in soil under grassland than under arable land. A conversion of arable land into grassland leads to enormous CO2 sequestration. The use of drained peat soils for arable forage production is extremely harmful to the climate, rewetting reduces the climate impact. Grazed grassland provides low-cost forage. The use of nature conservation grassland for low-input pasture fattening of young stock born from dairy cows leads to more climate-friendly beef production compared to young stock derived from suckler cows grazing on comparable pasture. At Lindhof all heifers, not to be used for replacement, are dairy/beef cattle crossbreeds and are fattened on extensive areas of nature protected grasslands and without additional concentrate feeding.