RESEARCH AT GRAND GARTEN
Alfred Grand had his first contact with science 20 years ago during a trip to the USA. At that time, he was on an exploration tour of earthworm composting and visited the University of Berkeley in California. A study on worm composting was carried out there, but the researchers did not get anywhere because they lacked practical experience. So it was clear that science and practice must work more closely together!
Back in Austria, research projects were carried out in the following years with the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences and there were cooperations with almost all relevant research institutions in Austria. In 2014, Alfred Grand got the opportunity to contribute also on the European level. The European Innovation Partnership for Agriculture (EIP-AGRI) was founded and Alfred Grand was invited to become a member of three focus groups. This resulted in further cooperations and today GRAND FARM is involved in several international research projects and thematic networks. Alfred Grand is a member of the Mission Board for Soil Health and Food, a 15-member body that advises the EU Commission.
GRAND FARM is also part of the Lighthouse Farm Network, an initiative of the Dutch University of Wageningen. This network connects 11 selected farms from all over the world. These farms are united by the desire to change global agriculture and the knowledge that this is only possible through cooperation between research and practice.
Contacts to the USA have not been broken off either, there are close ties to the Rodale Institute, the oldest organic research institute in North America, and the Regenerative Organic Alliance, where Alfred Grand is on the board of directors.
All of these research activities serve not only the farmers, but above all environmental and climate protection, biodiversity and ultimately our society. Our research cooperations are characterised by three main areas: soil health, agroforestry and market gardening.
Practice partner for science
GRAND GARDEN is available to the scientific community as a practical partner to research new methods, test innovative approaches, demonstrate results and make them learnable for interested parties.
Would you like to work with us and explore and develop the potential of “Market Gardening” together with us? We are looking forward to your message!
To find out more about our current research projects, please visit our GRAND FARM website.
