Rhine farmers: Regional agriculture between tradition and future

Rhine farmers: Regional agriculture between tradition and future

In the region around Erftstadt, farmers are trying to strengthen local grain production. In 2019, Martin Richrath, Jörg Hoffsümmer and Thomas Neissel founded the Rheinbauern producer association, which has set itself the task of growing, processing and marketing grain regionally. In order to promote sustainability, farmers avoid chemical crop protection and rely on a variety of cultivation practices that support biodiversity.

The initiative quickly attracted another twelve farmers who joined the community and grow Rheinkorn – including wheat, rye, spelled and einkorn – on a total of 70 hectares. The Horbacher mill in Neunkirchen-Seelscheid plays a central role in processing the grain, which has been ground by the Dobelke family for over 100 years.

Challenges and experiences

But the project faces challenges: current crises, such as war and inflation, have made marketing the Rheinkorn more difficult. There have also been problems with the mill, which has affected agricultural efforts. Despite these setbacks, the group remains optimistic. Richrath notes that her brand has already gained recognition and that feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.

A special supporter is the district farmer Willy Winkelhag, who welcomes the regional marketing of grain products. Albert Schmitz, an organic farmer, points out that regionally produced foods are often more popular than organically grown foods because consumers know where their food comes from. This transparency, says Richrath, is an important goal for the Rhine farmers.

Another concern of the community is to acquire its own mill in order to become less dependent on external partners and increase control over its products. “The feeling of knowing where the food grows is important for our customers and for us as consumers,” says Peter Weber, a baker from Friesheim who only uses Rheinbauern grain.

Rhine farmer's wheat flour is available in many shops and farm shops, and consumers are willing to pay a higher price for this local quality. For example, customers are happy to pay 40 cents for a wheat roll made from Rheinbauernkorn. Weber and his family also rely on regional products by sourcing fruit, eggs and dairy products locally wherever possible.

Wheat is grown on around 10,681 hectares in the entire Rhein-Erft district and is often traded internationally. In contrast, Rheinkorn offers a traceable origin, which is important to consumers. Nevertheless, Winkelhag sees increasing difficulty in achieving the high quality standards due to increasingly strict EU fertilizer regulations. The protein content of the wheat plays a crucial role; If the content is too low, it can mean that the grain can only be used as feed wheat.

In order to secure the future of Rhine farmers, it is essential that they find creative solutions to optimize marketing and production standards and to meet the challenges of the industry. While prices rise and so does the demand for regional products, the Rhine farmers remain determined to stick to their vision and promote local agriculture. Further information about the developments can be found in an article on www.ksta.de.