Linda Kelly
Innovator
Biolandhof Kelly
Germany
Economic
Farming
Rural village
The innovation journey
Linda Kelly runs an organic farm with her husband and parents in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. They keep beef cattle, cultivate around 300 hectares of grassland and arable land with 16 different crops and produce renewable energy. Linda’s innovation is the production and direct marketing of sweet lupins. As a legume, sweet lupins fit very well into crop rotation and are also known as “domestic soya”. Linda processes them into dry products such as lupin coffee, seasoning, flour, meal and flakes. Sweet lupins are also used to make spirits and cosmetic products from lupin oil. She markets her products in her small farm shop, via her online shop and other resellers and processors. As far as possible, all by-products are utilised on the farm.
The innovation impact
Linda runs the farm according to Bioland standards and is therefore ecologically sustainable. She is committed to the circular economy. Her initiative has enabled her to create two jobs on the farm and her project contributes to biodiversity and nature conservation. Farm nutrient cycles have been closed. In times of declining meat consumption, the demand for pulses to cover protein requirements is increasing. This contributes to a healthy diet for people. She was honoured for her achievements with the “Entrepreneur of the Year 2018” award from the German Rural Women’s Association, the CERES Award 2019, and received various other awards.