The training farm of the Kőszeg Lutheran Secondary School—one of the model farms of the GRASSLAND-HU LIFE Integrated Project—has been awarded the prestigious “Meadow Hay of the Year” title. The award was received by the farm manager, Szabolcs Nagy, from Szilvia Orosz, Director of the Feed Analysis Laboratory at the Livestock Performance Testing Ltd.
This prestigious award—which the training farm has won on previous occasions—recognises not only the outstanding quality of the forage produced, but also the farm’s commitment to conscious and nature-friendly management practices. As demonstrated during an event organized by the Hungarian Chamber of Agriculture this June, the school adheres the principles of sustainable grassland management. Paying careful attention to mowing schedules, proper machinery settings, and the correct use of wildlife deterrent chains – all for the aim of protecting grassland biodiversity. This approach aligns perfectly with the mission of the GRASSLAND-HU LIFE Integrated Project, which demonstrates how production, education and nature conservation can be integrated into a coherent, functional system.
The award ceremony was creatively combined with hands-on training for future professionals: the equine and agricultural management students of the secondary school. Szilvia Orosz delivered a lecture on the key factors influencing hay quality, followed by Bálint Horváth, an expert from the Grassland Project’s newly established Grassland Conservation Management Advisory Service, who presented the ecological value and conservation importance of grasslands.
The “Meadow Hay of the Year” award provides further confirmation of how the training farm of the Kőszeg Lutheran Secondary School is at the forefront of integrating agricultural production with biodiversity conservation and hands-on education for students. We are proud that the institution’s training farm is among the model farms of the Grassland Project.
Source: Adrienn Gyenes, Hungarian Chamber of Agriculture, National CAP Network Green Support Unit (ZTE)