Our summer interns
Regina, Elena and Paul, we are three students and did an internship at the WOERLE cheese dairy in summer 2023. For five weeks we dealt a lot with the topic of sustainability, we all have a very strong connection to agriculture and it is very important to us to actively contribute something to sustainable food production.
Sustainable agriculture up close
The topic of sustainability is very important at the WOERLE cheese dairy, as shown by the many projects, such as "Biodiversity in Farmers' Hands" or "Regional CO2 reduced". Working on the projects has shown us how simple tasks can help our environment.
In addition to our main tasks, we had the opportunity to take part in various projects, including a fascinating bat workshop. On other days we were able to offer our support to the farmers by helping them pull out the Indian balsam. These diverse experiences made our internship at the WOERLE cheese dairy an extremely enriching and exciting time. As part of the three-day children's holiday program, we explained to the children where their cheese comes from and how it can be processed. It was a pleasant change from our everyday work routine.
Elena
My project was the agroforestry systems in agriculture. My main task was caring for the plants and documenting the losses caused by pests. Agroforestry systems can contribute to upgrading agricultural areas economically, ecologically and in terms of landscape aesthetics. They bring countless benefits, such as soil health and fertility or biodiversity. These systems can also help mitigate the effects of climate change and make agriculture more resilient.
Regina
My main task was to help with the research project “Reduction of ammonia emissions from cattle manure through dairy residues”. The project was initiated by WOERLE together with Pinzgau Milch and is being carried out in cooperation with HBLA Origin and the FH Salzburg. In my internship, for example, I measure the pH values in the manure. And this is how it works: The cleaning milk, which is free of cleaning chemicals, is added to the manure. The lactic acid bacteria lower the pH value of the manure. This not only helps our environment because it binds the ammonia gas into the soil, but also farmers because it fertilizes better.
Paul
Every day, large companies are faced with the question of how climate-friendly their supply chain is. During my internship, I recorded which WOERLE farmers had already installed a PV system and calculated the approximate area. I then looked at the current use of the facilities on the farm. What are the typical electricity consumers on a dairy farm and at what times is the electricity used? What was interesting were the companies' different approaches to using their own electricity - from the normal direct use of electricity to batteries that store up to 90 KW. At the end of the internship, I was able to independently develop practical usage models that make economic sense for the dairy industry.
