Organic milk from the Ore Mountains: This is how the farmers of the future work!

Organic milk from the Ore Mountains: This is how the farmers of the future work!

In the picturesque hills of the Erzgebirge, more precisely at the Erzgebirgische Agrargesellschaft Forchheim mbH in Wernsdorf, Lippersdorf and Dörnthal, 1,400 organic dairy cows provide fresh milk - twice as much! The company, which has been working according to strict organic guidelines for eight years, is committed to sustainable agriculture and offers an ideal home for its animals. With a clear focus on species-appropriate husbandry, ranging from clean stable conditions to spacious pastures, this company has set high standards. Daily exercise is part of the philosophy here, and fresh straw is a given.

From training young people to become farmers or animal farmers to the use of high-quality organic dairy products – everything fits together here. In total, the company employs around 50 people and cultivates an area of ​​2,000 hectares on which no chemical-synthetic pesticides are used. “Quality instead of quantity” is the motto, which not only applies to the husbandry, but also to the milk production, which impresses with an average of twelve liters per cow and a fat content of 4% - and that with a milking frequency of twice a day.

The importance of milk production in Germany

But organically certified milk production is embedded in Germany like a network. Milk production is the most important branch of German agriculture. In 2023, a total of 32.6 million tons of cow's milk were produced, with Germany standing out as the largest milk producer in the EU with over 20% of total production. In comparison, France and the Netherlands have 16.2% and 9.6%. It is worth highlighting that organic farmers supplied 1.4 million tonnes of organic milk - almost twice as much as in 2014, highlighting the growing trend towards sustainable products.

There are currently around 3.7 million dairy cows in Germany. However, the number of dairy farms is declining: from 138,500 in 2000 to just 50,581 in November 2023. This is particularly due to the economic pressure that many dairy farmers, especially smaller farms, are under. Feed and energy costs are rising while producer prices fluctuate. From the beginning of 2021 to the beginning of 2023, these prices increased, helping dairy farms realize profits, but since the beginning of 2023, prices have decreased slightly but remain at acceptable levels.

The future of milk production

Those responsible at the plant in Wernsdorf still have a clear vision for the future: long-term success, even in 20 years, is the goal. The business reaches its seasonal peak in September, when it opens the doors to its farm festival, where tours, lectures and culinary delicacies are on the program. The exact date will be announced later.

A look at average milk consumption shows that in 2024 every German will be supplied with 46.2 kg of drinking milk and 25.4 kg of cheese. This shows how firmly anchored dairy products are in the diet. For this purpose, the cows are kept in open stables; about 87% of dairy cows enjoy this space. Here too, attitudes have changed: While 10% of cows were tied in 2020, this corresponds to a decline of 27%, according to data from the Federal Information Center for Agriculture.

This underlines the need to make animal husbandry sustainable while at the same time focusing on animal welfare. Our milk production will continue to have to be in harmony with the needs of nature and society in order to ensure high-quality and responsible dairy farming in the future.