Tagebuch

 

Tuesday, April 24

 

ARRIVAL at WITZENHAUSEN: 12.30 a.m. at the place in front of the old monastry ("Mensa").

 

Monday, April 23

 

Budapest - Thuringia (Germany)

 

Sunday, April 22

Saturday, April 21

 

The next days we will cross the Carpatean Mountains again via Brasov(Kronstadt), where we spend a night, and  further on we pass Sibiu (Hermannstadt). We plan to see a farm on the way to the Hungarian border, and via Hungary and Austria we will go back to Germany.

 

Friday, April 20

 

In the morning Farina and Daniela conduct an interview with the international relation officer to know more about the student exchange programs and about the program and service for foreign students.

On the way back to Germany we pass a vegetable research station in Bacau where research on organic horticulture is carried out. We will meet an expert and discuss the situation of organic farming and research in Romania.

 

Thursday, April 19

 

Today we had the last workshop of the tour. This time 34 students and lecturers participated at the workshop. At first Prof. Muneanu introduced the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences to us. Today Christian guided through the program. After some information about the ORGANICagriculTOUR Iris and Farina gave a presentation about "Organic Agriculture in Germany and Europe". After the quiz on organic agriculture Daniela presented the Faculty, giving an overview about history, aims, resources and study opportunities. During the tea break we had some personal talks to students from Iasi, and after that we started our inter-active workshop modules. Iris and Daniela gathered students who were interested in "How to plan an environmental campaign - experiences from the ORGANICagriculTOUR-team, whereas Farina and Lutz encouraged students to participate in a role game on organic and conventional agriculture. Finally, Lutz presented the BIOLAND-farm of his parents.  After the evaluation of the workshop we were invited to see the town of Iasi.

 

Wednesday, April 18

 

We are leaving Cluj-Napoca today. On the way to Iasi, our last stop, near the border to Moldavia we will pass the Carpatean Mountains and looking forward to have a look to the amazing scenary and to visit one of the old monasteries.

 

Tuesday, April 17

 

Farina and Daniela conducted an interview with the mobility officer of the international office and gathered some information about student exchange mobility and services. 

The workshop took place in a class room with more than 25 participants. Today Christian moderated the workshop an guided the students through the program. During the tea break we provided organic tea and cookies, and after that students participated very active in the group works of Farina and Iris about "Organics and Arts", and of Lutz and Christian about "Pro and contra of organic agriculture".  They where also very interested in the presentation about the BIOLAND- farm of Lutz' parents in the South of Germany. During that time, Daniela provided individual consultations for those students who are very much interested in specializing organic agriculture in Witzenhausen.

After the workshop we met the Dean of the Faculty and shared some information about our two faculties. 

 

Monday, April 16

 

In the late morning we set up our information stall out side the cafeteria. This time the mini van is part of our promotion action. In the afternoon an assistant will show as the faculty. Last but not least we will prepare the venue for tomorrow's workshop day.

 

Sunday, April 15

 

Delia, a PhD student of the faculty, and her husband took us to the Botanical Garden of Cluj Napoca. After, we went to the mountains and did some hiking at a impressiv valley with the small stream Aries. We enjoyed the hike very much.

 

Saturday, April 14

 

We left Debrecen and took the road to Oradea to cross the border to Romania. The mini van was very lucky at the border because it touched the window of the border control station quite strong and the border station personnel did not like this collision at all. So, we were waved through immediatly.

The landscape at Transilvania looks very nice. It is a hilly area and far away one can see snow covered peaks of the Carpathian Mountains. The villages at the valleys seem to be like villages in Germany about 50 years ago. Farmers worked on the fields using horses for plaughing and transportation.

In Cluj Napoca, the biggest city of Transilvania, we settled down in a student hostel and met a teacher from the Agricultural Faculty.

 

Friday, April 13

 

In the morning we evaluated the workshop day together with the international mobility officer. Now we are looking forward to get to know the campus and the city of Debrecen a bit. In the afternoon we are invited for Tokaj, a famous wine growing area in Hungary.

 

Thursday, April 12

 

Early in the morning the dean of the Faculty welcomed us at his office. He was very interested in our project and our faculty. There are several courses offered in Debrecen focusing on sustainabilty and environmental protection. It would be great to sign a cooperation contract between our two faculties to allow students to participate in EU-mobility programs and to do research projects together.

In the late morning we set up an information stall next to the cafeteria. This time, the workshop day started at 2 p.m. in the afternoon because students had classes in the morning. The atmosphere was realy nice and the 15 participants had very good language skills, either in English or German. We had a lot of interesting discussions after the presentations and especially during the working group sessions.

 

Wednesday, April 11

 

We met the vice dean of the university and talked to the mobility officer in the morning. Now we are leaving Goedoelloe. On the road to our next stop in Debrecen we stopp at two organic farms. 

 

Tuesday, April 10

 

After preparing the workshop venue Monday evening, we conducted the workshop day today at the Agricultural University in Goedoelloe. It is located about 30 km east of Budapest and bigger in terms of agricultural students than any other university in Hungary.  12 participants attented the workshop sessions. Students have been very active and we discussed a lot of questions after the presentations and during the group work.

At the same time two students from Witzenhausen organized an information stall at the main building, where more than 200 students stoped. We informed them about the  ORGANICagriculTOUR project, about our faculty and our  international study program. Several students were interested to come to Witzenhausen to take courses in organic agriculture or for a practical training in a department or in our research farm.

 Eastern  

 

Thursday, April 5

 

In the morning we are going to visit Biokultura, an organic association in Hungary.

In the afternoon we are leaving Budapest and spend Eastern in the Ecovillage GAIA. 

 

Wednesday, April 4

 

Today we are going to visit Biocontrol Hungaria, a certification body in Hungary.  We also meet the head of the department of  Ecological and Sustainable Production Systems, Prof. Radics, at Corvinus University to thank him for the support and to say goodbye.

 

 Tuesday, April 3

 

Early in the morning the workshop with 13 participants (10 students and 3 PhD students and lecturers) of the Faculty of Horticulture starts. Daniela welcomes the participants and gives a short introduction to the project. The team members get introduced. Iris guides through the program the whole day. Farina and Iris start with the first presentation on "Organic Agriculture in Germany and Europe". After, all Hungarian students attent the quiz game moderated by Lutz with the help of Iris and Farina. Students from Hungary and Germany get talking during the tea break. Afterwards, Daniela gives a presentation about the Faculty of Organic Agricultural Sciences at Witzenhausen and introduces the international study program. The first workshop session starts and the participants decide all for the "How to plan an environmental campaign - experiences of the ORGANICagriculTOUR-team".  On a poster participants write down their ideas for future agricultural development. The poster will be taken to all other faculties and presented in Witzenhausen later on. Lutz gives a presentation about the organic farm his family runs in the South of Germany. The students from Hungary inform the students from Witzenhausen about the latest development of the organic sector in Hungary. Last but not least, the participants provide feedback to the tour-team. The tour-team thanks the participants and Laszlo and Andrea.

At the same time Christian (and later other students) runs an information stall in front of the cafeteria in the main building. Students of the faculty stop at the stall. Information material about the workshop and the study programs in Witzenhausen is provided.

The tour-team meets lecturers to discuss the approach of the project and the results of the workshop day.

 

Monday, April 2

 

In the morning we met our contacts Andrea and Laszlo at Corvinus University. We had a meeting with the deputy dean of the horticultural faculty in the morning. After that we visited the research farm in Soroksar near Budapest. Out of  200 ha about 17 ha are managed organically. Peter, manager of the ecological section at the farm, explained us the research projects.

In the afternoon we met the mobility officer and filled in a questionnaire on student mobility.

The venue for tomorrow's workshop day got prepared.

 

 

Sunday, April 1

 

Max from Permalot is giving a guided tour on the project site and explains the principles and challanges of permaculture. Departure from Podoli/Czech Republik. On the way to Hungary we pass Slovakia. Arrival at Budapest in the late afternoon.

 

Saturday, March 31

 

Departure from Witzenhausen in the morning. Students and lectures say goodbye. The TV program Hessischer Rundfunk films the departure. The team arrives at  a permacultur project site in the South of Czech Republik in the evening.