WALDECKHOF, STAUFEN ARBEITS – UND BESCHÄFTINGUNGSFÖRDERUNG gGmbh

IDENTIFICATION OF THE CASE STUDY

Case study number: DE-02

Name of the farm/organization: Waldeckhof, Staufen Arbeits- und Beschäftigungsförderung gGmbh / Waldeck Farm

Title of the case study:  

Organic farming with long-term unemployed

MAIN DATA

Country

Germany     

Year of establishment

1997

Target groups

• Long term unemployed people

Type of farm

Mixed organic sheep farm with cheese production

Size (in hectares)

45 ha (16 ha arable land and 34 ha pasture)

Numbers of employees from target groups

Around 40

Number of members from target groups using services without employment

0

Sources they live from

Federal Ministry of Labor (job center), farm products, donations, EU

Innovative / not innovative

Innovative

Websites

www.sab-gp.de

www.2343ec78a04c6ea9d80806345d31fd78-gdprlock/waldeckhof

www.8dc6460bbbb088757ed67ed8fb316b1b-gdprlock/waldeckhof.1/

DESCRIPTION

The Waldeckhof is a farm where long term unemployed people work and it exists since 1997. It is located near Göppingen (Germany). The farm works with long term unemployed people and tries to reintegrate them into the job market. They have dairy sheep, cows, pigs, geese, and chickens on the farm. The products are sold through a farm shop and they also have a little café there. They are certified as an “Archehof” as well, which means that you keep rare breeds. The concept is that everyone who works there is seen as personality, which also includes their biography. Therefore, it is important that everyone’s work is valued and that these people get the chance to be a part of the labor market again. Altogether there are about 40 long term unemployed people working there. Financially they get 50% of the money through the job center the other half of the money comes in through donations.

POSITIVE PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

There are many aspects which led Karin Woyta to start this farm. The main reason was that she has been in a situation where she was unemployed herself. She experienced herself how difficult it is to get back onto the labor market. Other reasons are that she wanted to create a place for long-term unemployed people in Göppingen. There they not only find meaningful work to do but also the get help in other affairs like the correspondence with the job center or help to look after the children as a single parent. Her motivation is to help long-term unemployed people and to give them a chance to find a way back the labor market. She hopes that on the farm they will learn about certain values which will are supposed to stay with them for their future jobs. The biggest success she said is that the Waldeckhof as an institution was able to exist for such a long time by the help of donations. There are as well quite a few changes which she noticed in the past few years. One of the biggest changes is that financing the whole project becomes more difficult because there have been a lot of retrenchments by government. One the other hand there have been some innovations as well. The Waldeckhof was able to expand their direct marketing. At the same time they could improve their system for contributing their products. In the field of consultation there has been the innovation that they can now offer more complexity with their consultation. From example there is now a program which offers help especially for women who have children.

OBSTACLES AND HOW TO OVERCOME

The biggest obstacles are that on one hand there have been a lot of retrenchments by government for social services and one the other hand it is more difficult to get the money because of a long process to make an application. Furthermore the application is more digitalized nowadays which makes it very difficult for some clients. The biggest problems with clients are that after the war in Syria and in Ukraine many different people with different nationalities come to work at the project but they often can`t speak German or English. So it is not so easy to find people who are able to translate for them. Also to make their applications becomes more difficult for them. Another problem is that through covid she made the observation that people can not perform anymore as they used to before covid happened. But the work which needs to be done on the farm did not change. So they have to see how to create the work in a way that the clients can adopt to it. The strategies the try to do in order to overcome those challenges is to speaks to politicians and directly to address their problems.
Another way is they try to network with other and similar organizations and finding solutions together.

RECOMMENDATIONS, ADVICE

The advice which can be given to other farmers is that when starting up a social farm you should make yourself realize how you are going to finance it and who will be your main target group. After knowing that then you can set it up by taking one step after the other. She said that it should be avoided to put your own health at risk by not knowing where your personal limits are. Moreover, you should not be to optimistic about your idea or not knowing a plan B because there can always be some unexpected changes and then this can put you into some difficulties.

PROMO

The sales which they us is mainly direct sales through two farm shops. They also have their own restaurant where their products are processed. Since they are a charitable organization they are not allowed to do official advertisement to sell their products but they have an Instagram account and a Facebook page and sometimes they do an open day on the farm.

FINAL SENTENCES

Katin Woyta says that she can not really say what the future of the Waldeckhof is going to be but her main plan for the closer future is to find a good replacement for herself. A person who is able to all the jobs which she took on within the past years so that she can start her retirement in peace. Answered if she would be proud of something Karins answers: “The fact that the Waldeckhof has lasted for such a long period of time and that it is still changing and developing! Another aspect is that I met so many amazing people during the time I was working and that I managed to create such a big network of people!”