Germany: a land entrenched in history and carrying a rich tradition in producing high quality automobiles, beer, and tractors. Due to a large influx of German immigrants to the United States during the 1800s, German ancestry and influences are common across the Midwest. More Illinoisans can trace their roots back to Germany than any other nation. However, as cultures have shifted apart, the dining experience, language, and agricultural practices vary significantly between the U.S. and Germany today. American farmers who travel to Germany will notice the contrast. Upon landing in Germany, Americans are greeted by pretzels and beer produced by the small grains grown in German fields. While there are a significant amount of farms across Germany, one thing that most Americans would be shocked by is the small nature of German agricultural fields. German farms average 150 acres in size, while Illinois farms average close to 375 acres. There are many reasons for this, including the fact that farms have been established for generations, a high population density, and incredibly high land prices. In Southern Germany, one dairy farmer explained his predicament of being constrained from adding land to his operation by the fact that one acre sells for $30,000-$50,000.
Europe in general is known to be very progressive in generating renewable energy, but also being an expensive place to live. These two work hand in hand and are partially responsible for the high land prices. Renewable energy in Germany is a driving force in the land market, with the government promoting wind turbines, solar fields, and biogas production. Biogas production is an interesting concept and one not commonly seen in the U.S. Biogas is a renewable energy source produced by the breakdown of organic material, primarily waste, including agricultural waste and manure. German dairy farmers have benefitted very well from biogas expansion. Utilizing manure, spoiled feed, and fermented corn or grass silage, biogas systems in some areas of Germany produce both electricity and hot water for surrounding communities. Farmers of all sizes have been able to build and profit from these systems in Germany, whereas in the U.S., biogas systems are largely unprofitable and sparse. One major difference between the two systems is the cost of electricity, with German consumers paying up to $0.40 per kWh due to the government’s push for less efficient, renewable energy sources and their American counterparts currently paying a fraction of that amount. While being a larger expense to consumers, the German biogas system provides farmers a diversified stream of income while also producing clean energy and reducing the emissions of livestock operations.
Another notable difference between Germany and the U.S. is the close tie between the community, family, and the farm. Specifically with modern animal agriculture in the U.S., there is oftentimes angst amongst community members due to smell, water quality concerns, and increased truck traffic. In contrast, in the southern half of Germany particularly, dairy farms lie just on the edge of town and community members regularly use their fields to walk dogs and spend time outside. These are farms that have been on the edge of town for generations, with generally the firstborn son taking over the farm from the generation before. Agriculture is a huge part of rural communities across the U.S.; however, it is not as woven into the fabric of the town as it is in Southern Germany. The cultural significance of traditional practices is very interesting, with many German dairy farmers choosing to continue milking the same breeds their family did as they grew up. Most American dairy farmers have shifted to milking only Holsteins or Jerseys, while German farmers are still milking Brown Swiss and Simmental. The German farmers admit that they would likely be more profitable by milking Holsteins rather than Simmentals or Brown Swiss, however they acknowledge that their legacy of milking those breeds forms an internal boundary away from shifting. The same sense of legacy leads German farmers to take great pride in what they do and in how their facilities, fields, and equipment look.
One of the starkest differences between agriculture in Germany and the U.S. is the regulatory structure that farmers must abide by. As a member of the European Union, German agricultural law and policy is not established at the national level, but rather by the European Commission. American farmers who fear excess regulation will harm them in the long run can view Germany as a case study. The EU does not allow for the production of genetically modified or genetically engineered foods and is much more restricted on the pesticides available to use and when fertilizers can be applied. There are many consumers in the U.S. who would like to see similar regulations here; however it has constricted German farmers from many of the freedoms they once enjoyed. Christiane Brandes of the Innovations Team in Germany, a dairy cattle barn design firm, introduced the idea of maximizing “cow comfort” in dairy design. “Cow comfort” attempts to bring conditions into the barn that are similar to a pasture - soft, dry bedding and a lot of fresh air – to improve animal health and maximize milk production. Brandes describes the contractionary agricultural economy European dairy farmers are now facing as resulting not from poor markets – Germany is the largest milk producer in the EU and in Germany the per capita consumption of both cheese and butter is double that of the U.S. - but rather from slow permitting processes, continuously tightening regulations, and an increasing negative sentiment towards animal agriculture.
To put things in perspective, Germany is slightly smaller in area than Montana. Approximately 57% of Germany is considered agricultural land. There are over 276,000 farms in Germany. Both the U.S. and Germany trend toward aging in the agricultural producer population. Only 7% of German farmers are under the age of 35, and 40% are age 55 or older. In the 2022 U.S. Agricultural Census, the average age of U.S. farm producers was 58 and only 9% of producers were under the age of 35. Also like the U.S., the German agricultural economy encompasses a variety of climatic, agronomic, and societal conditions. Analyzing the similarities and differences between U.S. and German agriculture provides an opportunity for U.S. farmers to gain a unique perspective on domestic practices.
*This is a story told from personal experience and anecdotes made on farm visits in Germany in January 2025
*For a look into the Innovation Team and their Barn Designs across Europe, follow the link below