TEIKEI Network › … › Livestock Farming, Nutrient Cycles, and Farm Systems · 4 min read
This article summarizes the final brochure of the KoRinNa project. From 2022 to 2024, the project tested how dairy farms, mountain farms, and valley farms in the Southern Black Forest can collaborate in beef cattle fattening, involving 18 farms. The University of Hohenheim coordinated the project.
For TEIKEI, the project serves as a practical example of how farms can combine their different strengths and create cooperation that is sustainable for all participants.
The species-rich meadows and pastures of the Southern Black Forest remain open only if they are grazed. Without cattle, they become overgrown with shrubs.
Farms face various challenges:
Calves from organic dairy farming spend the summer on mountain pastures and winter in valley barns. The clover grass from crop farms serves as winter feed, while the manure becomes fertilizer.
With growth-oriented grazing, cattle consistently consume fresh growth. This includes an early start to grazing, a longer grazing period, and stocking density adapted to the growth.
The project found no negative effects of this grazing on biodiversity in unfertilized grassland. However, valuable areas that are grazed too little become overgrown with grass.
Three farms work together in a chain:
For the calves, the farms agreed on a pricing formula: slaughter price minus 1.50 euros per kilogram of live weight. Previously, a fixed price of 4 euros applied.
The Hofgut St. Leonhard requires firm commitments for a total of 200 animals to make winter boarding profitable. The brochure emphasizes that reliable partners are indispensable.
The following points are an interpretation and not part of the brochure.
"Gemeinsam erfolgreich – Erfahrungen mit Kooperationen von Berg- und Ackerbauern für Qualitäts-Rindfleisch, Kreislaufwirtschaft und Naturschutz" (Successful Together – Experiences with Cooperation Between Mountain and Crop Farmers for Quality Beef, Circular Economy, and Nature Conservation), University of Hohenheim, Department of Farm Management, 2025. The project was co-financed by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the state of Baden-Württemberg.
↑ Up one level: Livestock Farming, Nutrient Cycles, and Farm Systems
By Felix Schröder, with AI support (Claude)
Created on October 11, 2026 · Last updated on October 11, 2026
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