"I am taken seriously"
50th anniversary voices
Stefan Jegge is an organic farmer in Kaisten, five kilometres from FiBL in Frick. He has been working regularly with FiBL for 20 years.
Mr Jegge, how did the collaboration with FiBL come about?
Stefan Jegge: It started in 2003 or 2004 with the Pro Q project. I had seen a call for tenders for it. My wife Anita and I had taken over the farm from my parents in 2002 and converted it to organic according to the Bud label (from Bio Suisse, the umbrella organization of Swiss organic farmers, editor's note). From the very beginning we looked at how we could work best, in accordance with the site, and what we could do better to be profitable. I prefer to learn from nature than to work with high-tech. I'm also curious by nature, and that's why I signed up for Pro Q.
What was the project about?
Mostly about reducing antibiotics on dairy farms. For this, data was collected on more than a hundred organic farms. At that time, I had already done courses on homeopathy myself. The exchange with FiBL and other participating farms gave me the courage to try, for example, drying off cows without antibiotics. Comparing the anonymised data from other farms in FiBL's database with our own was very interesting because we saw where our own farm stood and it gave us the motivation to improve.
Have you worked with FiBL in other areas?
We have been involved in various trials over the years. When we started with grapes, for example, FiBL provided advisory services. Later, we took part in a plant protection trial. Another trial was meant to find out whether giving calves milk with a lot of bacteria can cause the animals to give milk with a lot of germs in their first lactation, which triggers udder inflammation. It showed that there was no influence, but that the germ transmission takes place through mutual suckling of the calves. We were also involved in the "Feed no Food" project, which aimed to reduce concentrated feed. The support we received in the project encouraged us to keep reducing the amount of concentrated feed; it has now been at zero for eight years. We also had FiBL’s support when planning the extension of our barn. We wanted a barn that was suitable for mother-bonded and fostered calf rearing, so we were supported by personal advice and a FiBL technical guide.
Did this conversion also come about because of a FiBL project?
No. Our calves had big problems with diarrhoea, so we wanted to solve this. By allowing the calves to drink first from their mothers and then from the foster cows, we got a handle on it. It also works out economically, because we save working hours due to the improved calf health. Later, we took part in a study on animal health in mother-bonded and fostered calf rearing.
Are you currently also involved in FiBL projects?
Our bull is involved in the "Bio-KB-Stiere" project (KB = artificial insemination, editor's note); we have been breeding Swiss Fleckvieh for 20 years. This is a great project, because the characteristics of most KB bulls so far do not fit organic farming. In addition, I am discussing minimum tillage with FiBL. And FiBL visits our farm for half a day every year with students from the Zurich University of Applied Sciences ZHAW.
What motivates you to work with FiBL?
I have often sensed how important the practitioners are to FiBL; as a farmer I am taken seriously and can give my own inputs. The physical proximity is also an advantage, of course; our farm is only five kilometres away from FiBL in Frick. You certainly need curiosity to participate in trials. Usually there is no compensation, but there are no costs either. I don't consider the extra effort to be huge, but I see it as a big benefit to be getting insights into the trial data and results; thus, I can learn more.
If you were allowed to choose: Which practical research questions would you like FiBL to work on?
That would clearly be homeopathy in crop production. We have been working with homeopathy in animal husbandry for a long time. I am very interested in its application to plants and am a member of a working group on the subject. On the farms involved, various things have already been tried out in different crops with very positive effects. I think it would be great if FiBL were to take up this topic scientifically.
Do you have any other concerns?
I think it is vitally important to strengthen pasture farming and make it more practical again. I would be happy if FiBL did more in this area. Because the trend is moving in a different direction, also in organic farming.
What are your wishes for FiBL’s future?
First of all: here's to another successful 50 years! And then I wish that FiBL remains practice-oriented despite its growth, that it definitely continues its on-farm research and continues to take up concerns from the practitioners.
Interview: Theresa Rebholz
This is a shortened and slightly adapted version of an interview that appeared in issue 4/23 of the Bioaktuell magazine. It is available as a PDF.