On Thursday, Feb. 13th 2025, the pilot farmers involved in the AFaktive project met with the Field Implementation Partners from the project consortium for a “Farmers Day”. The meeting that was organised by the leader of the project work package on farm implementation, Marco Bijl, Forestry Service Group, and brought together more than 20 participants. Pilot farms are those farms in AFaktive, that are working on the implementation of new agroforestry and water management measures.
© IfaS
During the meeting, farmers, planners and scientists had the opportunity to exchange on the progress at the farms, on the upcoming activities and to learn from each other. The participants agreed that this peer-to-peer learning is one of the most effective ways to proceed when it comes to these complex, innovative approaches.
Some of these implementers have already started converting their land use, planting trees or digging swales. One of these farms is Hof Mabrouck in Voeren (Belgium), where the “Farmers Day” took place. Family Dahmen, represented by Max Dahmen and Franzi Dahmen, presented their family farm and took the participants on a farm tour to show the recently installed swales and recently planted trees. Landscape Park Bocage without Borders (Landschapspark Grenzeloos Bocageland), in charge of swale construction, provided some insights into opportunities & challenges regarding swale construction. Their experienced local contractor constructed more than 300 metres of swales, situated in a wider landscape plan including local and native trees and shrubs, all aiming to improve water retention, provide climate protection and improve biodiversity.
© IfaS
Hof Mabrouck is located within the regional Landscape Park Bocage without Borders, where integrated landscape management includes water retention on local and catchment level. These measures – ranging from agroforestry and swales to ponds and bigger retention spaces – are combined to protect fields, farms and villages from flooding, but also to retain water for dry periods.
