Brandenburg farmer in the final: Ceres Award for sustainable milk production!

Brandenburg farmer in the final: Ceres Award for sustainable milk production!

In the fascinating world of agriculture, Marcel Schallmea from Drehnow (Spree-Neiße) shines as the only finalist from Brandenburg for the renowned Ceres Award 2025. This competition, organized by German agricultural publisher, received over 200 applications this year. From these, 21 finalists were selected who are celebrated for their outstanding achievements in the areas of sustainability, animal welfare and innovation.

The highlight for Schallmea was the presentation of his business “Spreewald-Alm” to the jury on Tuesday. His farm has the largest dairy herd of Tyrolean Gray cattle in Germany, a breed he discovered during his time in the Alps. Although these cows lag behind traditional breeds in milk production, their high-quality ingredients ensure excellent cheese production. A real treasure for cheese lovers!

Sustainability at the center

In addition to the quality of the milk, the longevity of the cows is also an important feature of his business. While conventional dairy cows often only live for 5 to 6 years, Schallmea's animals reach an impressive age of up to 15 years. This not only speaks for good animal welfare, but also for intelligent breeding decisions.

The products from the “Spreewald-Alm” – cheese, quark and yoghurt – are marketed directly at weekly markets, at events and in catering. The jury will visit the 21 nominated finalists by the end of August and the winners will be announced on October 29th in Berlin. The Ceres Award, which has been presented since 2014, is endowed with a total of 27,000 euros.

The competition never sleeps

And Marcel Schallmea is not the only one in the running for the title of “Farmer of the Year 2025”. Austrian agriculture also has strong representatives to offer. This is how Lisa Zanker from Bruck a. d. Leitha entered the race in the young farmer category. Their business has been almost completely converted to organic standards and is particularly characterized by the farm's own slaughtering and direct marketing of “Jahner's suckling pigs”.

Lisa Zanker and her husband have taken over the business of the Aussiedlerhof Jahner since 2022 and manage around 40 sows, with 90% of the feed coming from their own farm. Just like Schallmea, their innovative strength and sustainable management are the key factors for their nomination for the prestigious Ceres Award. It will also be evaluated by the jury on site before the winners are announced.

The winners of the Ceres Award 2025, which is being presented in its twelfth edition, are faced with an exciting challenge. The demanding criteria for the assessment – ​​sustainability, animal welfare and economic stability – are not only an incentive, but also a responsibility for the future direction of agriculture in German-speaking countries. We can't wait to see who will receive the awards in Berlin on October 29th!