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Reed as a gold mine: Bargischow shows farmers new opportunities!
On October 15, 2025, the moor agency MV will inform farmers in Bargischow about sustainable reed cultivation to secure the climate.
Reed as a gold mine: Bargischow shows farmers new opportunities!
A field day on the subject of reed cultivation recently took place in Bargischow, an idyllic town in the Vorpommern-Greifswald district, which was organized by the Mooragentur MV. ان 26 participants, including farmers, representatives of farmers' associations and engineers, gathered to learn about the opportunities and challenges of growing and harvesting reeds. The aim of the event was to familiarize farmers with the benefits and marketing of this special crop. According to information from NDR, the test area with around 80,000 reed plants is on an area of 11 hectares, which is managed on 500 hectares of drained grassland. The aim is to raise the water level in order to make future use even more efficient.
Why is reed so exciting? This mainly has to do with climate protection. Drained bogs are a real climate sinner and cause an impressive 7% of German greenhouse gas emissions. The issue of rewetting in agriculture is therefore being looked at with a keen eye in order to get these emissions under control. The MV Moor Agency, headed by Claudia Oehmke, offers extensive advice for farmers to rethink moorland management and at the same time plan excursions for the coming year.
The benefits of growing reeds
Not only does reed have the advantage of helping to reduce CO2, but it can also be used for different purposes. For example, it is used as a substitute for wood, insulation panels, acoustic elements and fuels such as pellets. An interesting possibility that is currently gaining in importance is the so-called paludiculture. This form of sustainable agriculture aims to use wet peatlands efficiently without damaging the environment. There are currently around 1.8 million hectares of moors in Germany, and rewetting these areas could save up to 20 tonnes of CO2 equivalents per hectare per year. In this way, agriculture and climate protection could be combined.
Paludiculture allows the cultivation of plants that do well in wet soils, such as reeds, cattails and peat moss. It is one of the solutions supported by the Federal Environment Ministry through pilot projects to show farmers new perspectives. These projects will be carried out over a period of ten years in federal states such as Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and aim to test sustainable forms of management.
Sustainable solutions for agriculture
The possibilities go far beyond growing reeds. Innovative concepts such as the combination of agrophotovoltaics and paludiculture are also being tested to create additional income for farmers. A research project at the University of Greifswald is investigating how photovoltaic systems can use moorland sustainably. Sustainability and economic profitability should go hand in hand here. After all, farmers often have to make high initial investments and deal with new sales channels. However, the potential is great and the first products from pilot projects are showing promising results.
In summary, it can be said: reed cultivation and the associated rewetting of the moors not only offer an opportunity for agriculture, but also actively contribute to climate protection. Farmers' interest has been aroused, and the MV Moor Agency has taken an important step in the right direction with its event in Bargischow. It remains exciting to see how this sector develops and whether the combination of agricultural use and ecology can actually be implemented sustainably.