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Silphia combines agriculture with industry, energy crop with packaging, idea with solution.
But who are the brains behind them? We tell their personal story here.
Creating sustainable agriculture – that was the idea of four family farms from the small village of Hahnennest in Baden-Württemberg. Together, they founded the Hahnennest Energy Park in 2011 and built a biogas plant. They were one of the first in Germany to grow the energy crop Danube silphia.
Today, the Silphie pioneers are not only thought leaders, but also pioneers: on behalf of OutNature, they are producing Silphie fibers as a new renewable raw material in the immediate vicinity of the biogas plant. In doing so, the farmers are testing a new business model for themselves, which should ensure the continued economic operation of the biogas plant, especially after the EEG subsidy expires.
We introduce the four farmers and their family businesses:
He discovered the Silphie plant during a card game and began planting it in his garden. Ralf increased the germination capacity of the seeds and developed a special sowing method together with his brother-in-law. More than 10,500 hectares (2022) have now been sown throughout Germany under the product name Donau-Silphie.
Ralf Brodmann, who could also be called the German forefather of the Silphie, beamingly declares: “I am a farmer”. He explains to us on site how he discovered the Silphie plant and was the first to introduce it to Hahnennest. Coming from a family farm, Ralf quickly cultivated the Silphie out of curiosity in his own garden. Today, OutNature is delighted to have him on board, because it is only thanks to his energy that the Silphie is available to us as a raw material supplier for our Silphie paper.
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Simon is a passionate farmer and took over the farm from his father, which he now manages in the fourth generation. He is also Managing Director of the Hahnennest Energy Park. Above all, however, he is a husband and father of four children.
Simon Rauch is both enthusiastic about and convinced of the benefits of the continuous silphie. From its many benefits for the profitability of farms to species protection and energy efficiency, he is happy to explain that he sees “a huge opportunity” for agriculture and the biogas industry in particular. Through the partnership with OutNature, he wants to leave his children “something that is fun.” Because that is what drives us all: sustainability.
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Thomas Metzler is not only a farmer “with heart and soul”, but also a pioneer, revolutionary and role model, because agriculture today is all about innovation and progress. Thomas not only moves with the times, he drives them forward. He has recognized that “producing only energy with silage is not a sustainable model” for farmers in Germany. Together, they have created a sustainable business model in Hahnennest that serves as a role model for other farms.
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Edwin König is one of the operators of the Hahnennest energy park. His son Andreas is studying agriculture in order to continue his work. The father and son team talk about their collaboration and the vision they have for their farm and Silphie.
After graduating as a state-certified agricultural technician, Felix Kaltenbach founded Kaltenbach GbR together with his father Egon in 2015. In addition to 50 dairy cows, they farm 75 hectares of arable land and 60 hectares of grassland together with the whole family and run an agricultural contracting business.
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