Where learning meets the land – secondary school entering the model farm – network
The Lutheran Secondary School of Kőszeg organized a professional day on grassland management. As a model farm participating in the Grassland-HU LIFE Integrated Project , the institution aimed to provide its students and local farmers with up-to-date information on various aspects of grassland management.
Held on 20 February 2025, the event featured presentations by experts invited from the Herman Ottó Institute Nonprofit Ltd., the Őrség National Park Directorate, Széchenyi István University, and the Forage Analysis Laboratory of Livestock Husbandry Performance Testing Ltd. Participants learned about the natural values of the region, and the operation of the Grassland Conservation Management Advisory Service. In addition, they received information about the opportunities related to grassland management within the Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plan, then learned about the technologies determining the quality parameters of hay production, and the latest research findings in that field.
Zita Zsembery, project manager at the Herman Ottó Institute Nonprofit Ltd., introduced the participants to the Grassland-HU LIFE Integrated Project, presenting its progress and achievements to date. She also outlined a new initiative launched within the project — the establishment of model farms — and described the first steps taken toward this goal.
According to Zsembery, alongside private farmers who manage their grasslands primarily through grazing, the Lutheran Secondary School of Kőszeg represents a special type of model farm. As an educational institution, it plays a key role in transferring the principles of sustainable, nature-friendly grassland management to future generations. Operating on Natura 2000 grassland areas and utilizing them as mowing fields, the school offers a valuable opportunity to build a long-term professional partnership within the project framework.
The professional day concluded with a demonstration of forage-handling machinery, followed by networking opportunity and exchange of practical experiences.
Source: vaol.hu, Herman Ottó Institute Nonprofit Ltd.