Favorite city 12 - Neighbors become partners: self-sufficiency through solidarity farming

"The 'Liebingsstadt Model' takes Solidarity Farming to a higher level."

Dear Reader,

the big common goal of achieving food self-sufficiency excites the residents of favorite city. In the meantime, Mayor Michael Miteinand and his team of experts have examined the various approaches to solving the problem. Once again, they have found that cooperative approaches are far superior to competitive thinking. This applies both to people with their different skills and to the plants and animals that support, strengthen and protect each other from pests in well-planned permacultures. The saying "together we are strong" proves true here as well.

For permaculture to deliver its sometimes sensational results and yields, it needs knowledge, skills and hardworking helpers. In this context, the model of Solidarity Agriculture (SoLaWi) has already proven itself worldwide.

What is Solidarity Farming?

Solidarity farming (SoLaWi) is a form of agriculture in which a community of people shares the costs and risks of the farm. In return, members regularly receive a share of the farm's produce, such as fruits, vegetables, meat or dairy products. Often, members are also offered the opportunity to participate in the farm work and thus gain a deeper insight into agriculture.

Solidarity Farming works for many reasons:

• Mutual support: The members support the farmers financially and partly also through labor. This gives the farmers security.
• Sustainability: Because members invest directly in the farm, the farmer can use sustainable farming methods that are often more expensive than conventional methods but better for the environment.
• Freshness and quality of products: Members receive fresh produce directly from the field, often of better quality than in the supermarket.
• Strengthening the local economy: Buying directly from local growers strengthens the local economy.
• Transparency and connection to food production: Members see exactly where their food comes from and how it is produced. This fosters a closer relationship with food production and a better understanding of the challenges facing agriculture.
• Sense of community: Working closely together often creates a strong sense of community among members.
• Education: Members learn how nature works and how to grow healthy food. In difficult times, this can become vital for the whole community.

The 'Liebingsstadt Model' goes much further and raises Solidarity Farming to a higher level. While in traditional SoLaWi's members work with individual farmers, in Lieblingsstadt all farms are invited to participate in the 'Great Cooperation for Self-Sufficiency'. In return, they receive help from quite a few citizens and support from the city.

Different disciplines cooperate

The participating gardeners and farmers represent different areas of the agricultural sector. Some of them have converted to organic farming. Their experience and expertise also benefit the others. The latter practice conventional agriculture on their farms but are open to farming the common land organically.

The members of the gardening association already have good experience and a lot of know how in the field of permaculture. Some of them also work with lesser known methods, such as electroculture and Agnihotra, sometimes with amazing success. The horticultural association maintains intensive exchange with successful permaculture projects all over the world and thus has access to the latest knowledge and most successful methods.

In addition to more traditionally farmed fields, research plots are also being established where new methods are being tested and further developed.

Competence Center for World Food

The 'Great cooperation for self-sufficiency' becomes known far beyond the city limits. As one of the first food self-sufficient cities, Lieblingsstadt becomes a world-renowned center of excellence in the all-important field of world nutrition.

Favorite City recruits the many volunteers for Solidarity Farming through the use of the Gradido model of compensation for voluntary work. Everyone who invests their time and energy in SoLaWi receives 20 Gradido per hour. This promotes a sense of community and creates a great incentive for active participation in this important project.