[Farm Visit]
In December 2024, the Austrian National Innovation Practice Hub held its kick-off event at the Research Station for Grassland and Ruminants in Raumberg-Gumpenstein, at the Organic Institute. After a workshop session, the group visited the barn. Although the farm was not yet implementing a Cow-Calf Contact (CCC) system, they were considering building a new barn for the calves. Together, the group explored which CCC system could be suitable under their specific conditions. Being on a farm and applying knowledge to explore how it could transition to a CCC system was a valuable learning experience for each NIP member.
During the group’s second meeting, members visited two organic farms, both part of the hub. On the farm of Bernhard and Julia Kurz, calves are kept with their mothers in a newly built composting barn with a free-lying area. Almost all the milk from their 22 cows is processed on-site into dairy products and sold directly. On the farm of Elisabeth and Michael Gansch, participants saw a unique system: they milk only once a day, around lunchtime, coinciding with peak electricity production from their rooftop solar panels. The calves stay with their mothers, and the milk from the ‘second milking’ remains for the calves.
By showcasing two different CCC systems in practice, these visits sparked valuable exchanges among NIP members and developed the Austrian group’s expertise.
