The 38th German Young Farmers Day (Deutsche Landjugendtag) took place in Fritzlar under the motto "Land. Life. Love". From 15 to 17 June 2018, almost 1,000 young farmers from all over Germany came together in idyllic Ederauen, Hesse, to swap notes, network and celebrate country life together.
The 38th German Young Farmers Day (Deutsche Landjugendtag) took place in Fritzlar under the motto "Land. Life. Love". From 15 to 17 June 2018, almost 1,000 young farmers from all over Germany came together in idyllic Ederauen, Hesse, to swap notes, network and celebrate country life together.
The Hessian Young Farmers organised a colourful programme of excursions, political discussions on the future of the countryside and two evening events, sponsored by Fendt and Raiffeisen Waren GmbH.
"Our programme starts on Friday with a Welcome to Hessen party", says Lars Döppner, Chairman of the Hessian Young Farmers. Together with Carolin Hecker, he had spent over a year planning the Fritzlar DLT. "On Saturday there will be a round of discussions and excursions including a visit to a biogas plant, the Hütt brewery or the Borken Mining Museum, followed by a LaJu Rocks party. The event ends on Sunday with breakfast together and a morning pint," says Döppner.
Fritzlar 2018 saw the cheerful and relaxed coming together of the traditional Hanseatic peaked cap with Bavarian lederhosen. As the young people arrived from all over Germany, the Fendt 1050 Vario sparked ripples of excitement and became an instant selfie hit, creating lasting memories.
"The rural youth is our future clientèle. So, we want to take this opportunity to introduce Fendt's innovative technology with the world's largest standard tractor, the Fendt 1050 Vario, and our harvesting solutions with the 5275 CPL combine, which is especially suited to the harvest conditions in Hesse," explains Michael Wismer, Regional Manager for Western Technology at Raiffeisen Waren GmbH.
Picture gallery 1: Deutscher Landjugendtag (German Young Farmers' Day) 2018 in Fritzlar
Dr. Franziska Giffey, Federal Minister for Families, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, in a Fendt 1000 Vario.
"Doing something is like wanting it, only better!"
On the Saturday, the Hessian Young Farmers organised a discussion on the future of life in rural areas, with attendances from Dr. Franziska Giffey, Federal Minister for Families, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, the President of the Hessian Farmers' Association, Karsten Schmal, and the Federal Board of German Young Farmers.
The lively talks centred around the challenges of the office of volunteers and actions to strengthen rural areas and the farming population. Dr. Franziska Giffey won the group over with her direct manner. "Doing something is like wanting it, only better," the Minister for Families observed. "And with this event, the Hessian Young Farmers have proved they can achieve a lot in a short time," says Giffey, who says the rural youth makes reminds her of her younger self.
(Left to right) Karsten Schmal (President of the Hesse Farmer's Association), Nina Senke (German Young Farmers Board Member), Sebastian Schaller (BDL Board Member), Dr. Franziska Giffey (Federal Minister for Families, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth), Hildegart Schuster (President of the Hesse Association for Rural Women) and Sepp Nuscheler (Press Spokesperson for AGCO/Fendt)
Modernisation and innovation go hand in hand.
Everyone who took part in the discussion round is well aware of the future importance of modernisation and innovation – including and especially for rural areas: In the "unity of family, professional and voluntary work", as mentioned by Dr. Franziska Giffey, or in the "expansion of the broadband network", according to Nina Valley (BDL), and the "nurturing of the next generation" as added by Karsten Schmal.
This nurturing of our youth is also at the heart of Fendt. "We firmly believe that the youth is our future, and have as such been a sponsor of the German Young Farmers for many years," says Fendt Press Spokesman, Sepp Nuscheler. "That's why, together with Raiffeisen GmbH, we are happy to support DLT 2018 with modern and innovative solutions," adds Thomas Stieglitz, Fendt factory representative for Hesse and Thuringia.
Picture gallery 2: Deutscher Landjugendtag (German Young Farmers' Day) 2018 in Fritzlar
Besides the political and serious topics, the event was not short of fun. Theresa Schmidt impressed the audience with her rendition of "Stufenlos übers Feld", including dance performance by the Hessian Young Farmers. She learned to drive a tractor in a Fendt, and was extremely impressed with her first, albeit brief, Young Farmers' Day – even helping out on the organisational team.
The Hessian Young Farmers also put on a funny play, in which Goethe and the Brothers Grimm drink cider together in the tavern, philosophising about their next bestsellers, worldly wisdoms and women.
The mood at the German Young Farmers' Day in Fritzlar was like the weather; sunny and bright. Apart from the ice-cream van, there was only one another vehicle as busy that day; the Fendt 1050 Vario. If it were not locked with a coded key, it would have ended up in the yard of one young farmer or another.
