Helden der Landwirtschaft

Josef breeds bison in Sickenhausen. The animals originally come from Canada, but since the nineties they have also been found in Upper Bavaria, as their meat is very popular with gourmets. Meanwhile, Hubert and his daughter Sina harvest more than a million apples in just one day at the picturesque Lake Constance. It's a feat of strength in which manual labor and modern technology complement each other perfectly. And at agricultural service provider Streit, welding and hammering are busily underway. In this episode, tractors and combine harvesters are brought up to speed.

While many people in Germany are still in bed, Lukas starts his combine at 5:30 in the morning. The corn harvest is coming up. That means twelve to 16 hours of work a day. And despite all the experience, handling heavy machinery is not without its dangers. On the farm of Rüdiger and his wife Andrea, you won't find any motorized behemoths. From milking cows to churning butter, solid manual labor is the order of the day. And in this episode of "Heroes of Agriculture," even a high-tech tractor gets to show what it can do.

Stefan farms with his family in Tengen in southern Baden. In 2020, he was named "Best Arable Farmer of the Year" for his sustainable working methods. The farmer urgently needs to get the barley from the field, but the combine is on strike. Marcus and Ramona, on the other hand, specialize in exotic poultry. The duo breeds ostriches in the Bavarian Oberland. And Mecklenburg is home to one of Germany's largest farms. But even the "big players" in the industry are struggling with the climatic changes.

Henning is a real all-rounder. He breeds and markets rare breeds of cattle. And he regularly invites guests to farm animal safaris on his farm. In doing so, he has to be careful not to get his horns blown. Jan and Henrik have also specialized. The farmers from Lower Saxony have been cultivating THC-free hemp for several years. As easy as the plant seems to be to grow, the more complicated and laborious the harvest is. This is because the fibers regularly get tangled up in the combine harvester. Nothing works in the field anymore.

When it comes to hops, there's no getting around Stefan from Upper Bavaria. Eight hectares are to be harvested on this day. That's no easy task, because it's raining cats and dogs. And then a conveyor belt breaks. Meanwhile, on Anita and Ute's farm, an uninvited guest is causing trouble. The organic dairy farm of the two sisters in Witzenhausen, Hesse, has chickens as well as cows. And a fox has it in for the feathered fowl. And in Altenberge, a straw baler has burned. Can Markus and Justus repair the damage?

Fresh eggs from the region: A big challenge awaits Christoph. 6,000 new laying hens are coming to his farm in Münster. The animals not only need enough space, but also feed and fresh water. Christoph and his team roll up their sleeves to make the birds' home as comfortable as possible. And at the Billesberger farm near Munich, Amadé calls the shots. The farmer specializes in growing primordial grain varieties. But during the grain harvest, dark rain clouds gather in the sky.

The potato harvest in Münster involves numerous helpers, heavy machinery and a sophisticated logistics system that relies on modern technology. Meanwhile, in southern Germany, crustaceans require a lot of attention that you wouldn't expect there. In Langenpreising, Bavaria, shrimp are farmed to counteract overfishing in the world's oceans. The exotic delicacies like it warm and humid. And Jens and Wiebke keep pigs at "Gut Rögnitztal". After feeding, they are bedded with fresh straw.

Anita has not yet been able to solve her fox problem. And now a hawk is also targeting her chickens. But the farmer must first take care of her cow "Rosamunde" in Hesse. The animal is being auctioned off for financial reasons. Meanwhile, the most stressful time of the year begins for the employees of a farm in southwestern Mecklenburg. There, 2500 hectares of grain are being harvested. On Rüdiger's farm in Brandenburg, things are much quieter. The "oldschool farmer" does not use modern machinery for his work.

Gherkins are very popular not only in this country, but all over the world. But harvesting the cucurbits involves a lot of logistical effort and is a physical feat. Hard-working helpers are indispensable. Meanwhile, in Alsfeld, Anita and Ute are anxiously following the cattle auction at which their cow "Rosamunde" is being auctioned off. Will the animal fetch the desired price? And Jan and Moritz hammer and flex for all they're worth. In this episode, the emergency mechanics from Altenberge are tasked with repairing a defective combine harvester.

Philipp and Laurens have their hands full near Hanover. In the morning, they feed the cows and give birth to a calf. In the afternoon, they head out to the sunflower field, because the plants are ripe for harvesting. Meanwhile, Florian and Lisa decorate their cattle in the Allgäu for the Viehscheid. The animals return to the valley from the lush mountain pastures. And Fini and Matthias load their water buffalo onto trailers. This requires full physical effort, because some of the animals are not in the mood for the journey to their winter quarters.

The cattle drive in Pfronten is not only a special event for the shepherds, but also for numerous tourists. Florian and his wife Lisa keep an eye on the animals during the cattle drive, so that no four-legged friends run away. Meanwhile, in Tengen, Baden-Württemberg, farmer Stefan makes sure that his fields will grow again next year. And Christian has to make a quick decision in North Rhine-Westphalia, otherwise there is a risk of considerable economic damage. Leaf blight is endangering his sugarbeet in Rodebachtal.

In Freudenberg, North Rhine-Westphalia, the focus is on animal welfare and modern technology. Much of the cattle breeding is fully automated. The animals' meat is used to create ready-made meals according to the company's own recipes and sold over the Internet. But on this day, the robot that normally feeds the 100 or so cattle is on strike. Meanwhile, in Thuringia, Dr. Georg Müller is checking blood values. The 71-year-old could actually retire, but instead the experienced veterinarian is giving birth to lambs in Bad Frankenhausen.

Amadé repairs a bridge railing on the Billesberger farm near Munich. Along the way, he takes care of his chickens, his horses and his farm store. And at the end of the day, the farmer gives a driving lesson. Meanwhile, in Abensberg, teamwork is called for. Asparagus harvesting is a real back-breaking job. Not only for the numerous helpers, but also for Franz Xaver and his sister Gabriele. And Ralf grows exotic fruits in Upper Franconia. In the small village of Kleinettau, not only potatoes and carrots grow, but also papayas.

900 sheep make a lot of work. Feeding, shearing and birthing are part of the daily routine near Oldenburg. And then there's the wolf. Birgit and her husband Rainer have to fence off the pastures to protect their farm animals. Meanwhile, a high-tech tractor is being built in Harsewinkel. In North Rhine-Westphalia, Tim monitors every assembly step to ensure that every screw on the agricultural machine is tight. And Eckhard grows exotic mushrooms in Neuharlingersiel on the North Sea coast. Not only gourmets but also vegans are happy about this.

Spring is just around the corner in Baden-Württemberg. For Stefan, that means sharpening coulters! The farmer has to loosen up his fields for sowing. In northern Germany, on the other hand, there is still snow. That doesn't make Sönke's job any easier, because he looks after several thousand fir trees in Schleswig-Holstein. Up to now, they have been cut by hand. But now help is rolling in, in the form of a portal tractor. And in Thuringia, an 800-kilo boar is castrated in this episode. The right dose of anesthesia is crucial here.