Claudia Smolka
Innovator
MILCH UND FLEISCH
Germany
Economic
Farming
Rural area close to city
The innovation journey
Together with her husband, Claudia Smolka runs a dairy goat farm with 45 dairy goats and a small cheese dairy in Hesse in the centre of Germany. She not only rears and markets the female lambs, but also the males. In addition to the goats, there is a small arable farm with various crops and 10 hectares of grassland in the nature reserve, where the goat offspring are kept with a few sheep and 2 suckler cows and their offspring.
The innovation impact
Sustainable farming is very important to Claudia, that is why she runs her farm according to Bioland guidelines. The young animals are reared with their mothers, which means that they drink milk from their mothers until they are old enough to feed themselves. Only the surplus milk goes to the cheese dairy. What is unusual is that she not only rears the female offspring but also fattens the male lambs until they are ready for slaughter and markets the meat instead of selling them to specialised fatteners like other goat farmers. As a small milk producer, she also has the opportunity to market male animals. She does not receive any institutional support but has joined forces with other small milk producers and is supported by the regional food council. She creates transparency in production, and understanding among consumers and influences purchasing decisions. In this way, she also takes responsibility for the consumer.