On 7th and 8th March 2026, members of the German Professional Association for Agroforestry (DeFAF) gathered in Thallwitz, near Leipzig, to review the association’s past year, as well as the activities carried out, upcoming tasks and objectives.
The AGROfloW and AFaktive projects were also represented, not only through the participation of the project teams, but also because an AGROfloW project site was visited as part of the event: the agroforestry system of the Böhlitz Agricultural Cooperative. With 18 hectares of arable land out of a total of 70 hectares of leased land, is this site Saxony’s largest agroforestry system. Around 28,000 poplars and 3,000 valuable timber trees have been planted here. The energy wood, which is due to be harvested for the first time in September 2031, will be supplied in the form of wood chips to the local heating network of Wurzener Land-Werke GmbH and the connected buildings in Röcknitz, just 5 km away. This also ensures short transport distances and local value creation.
Through inter-municipal cooperation between the local authorities in the Wurzener Land region, local value chains are being established with the aim, on the one hand, of reducing dependence on fossil fuels and imported timber in the energy sector and, on the other hand, of promoting the local production of regional food, such as fruit and nuts.
The participants then visited the ‘Tauchnitzgraben’ watercourse restoration project, which is situated directly adjacent to the agroforestry area managed by Böhlitzer Agrar e. G. Through a collaboration between the water and agriculture sectors, a formerly piped agricultural ditch is being uncovered, restored to its natural course, and shaded on both sides by various agroforestry trees and shrubs. The project aims to draw greater attention to the establishment of agroforestry systems along watercourses and to achieving the objectives of the EU Water Framework Directive.
During the field trip, there was a lively exchange between the local stakeholders and the participants. This was confirmed by the feedback received after the event: the (agroforestry) system and the cooperation structure made a very good impression on the participants.
Read the full article on the DeFAF website: link.
