LIFE AT THE DANISH WEST COAST

The dream of a community-supported agriculture drew Jan-Philip and Kristin to Lunde

Close to the small town of Lunde in West Jutland, Jan-Philip and Kristin have found the space for their dream about ecology and farming.

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In March 2022, Jan-Philip and Kristin, along with their two children, moved from Northern Germany to West Jutland.

They did so with the dream of running what is known as community-supported agriculture (CSA), which involves growing seasonal vegetables on often relatively small farms to sell them in the local area.

"We want to live a sustainable life, where we can cultivate crops with a low CO2 footprint. Our hope is that we can provide vegetables to many of the local area's residents," says Jan-Philip.

In Germany, community-supported agriculture is more common, although it is not yet as widespread in Denmark. But it is the family's hope that the Danes will embrace the concept.

"For each hectare of agricultural land, we can grow vegetables for about 100 families. Depending on the size of the families, of course. The idea is that people should be able to participate in deciding what gets grown," says Jan-Philip.

The family has eight hectares of land for organic farming. They also have two cows and two calves, which roam together with the neighbor's animals.

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Affordable land made the difference

In Northern Germany, the family also lived in the countryside, but there they had no land attached to the house. To fulfill the dream of their small farm, they looked for a place with a bit more land. And land is expensive in Germany.

Therefore, they turned their attention, among other places, towards Denmark, where it has been easier to find land at an affordable price.

"We have been on holiday in Denmark many times, and we like Denmark. The vast beaches and nature are so wonderful," says Kristin.

After the family moved to the farm in Lunde, the difference between Denmark and Germany becomes clear when they are home visiting their family in Germany.

"Every time we drive to Germany, I am surprised by how many people there are and how much stress there is. Here it is so quiet and calm, and people are so positive. We are really happy with the community that is here in Lunde," says Kristin.

And in Denmark, they are only five hours from their family in Germany. A much shorter trip than from Norway and France, which they also considered moving to.

Good environment for the children

Before Jan-Philip and Kristin moved with their two children, they experienced that the children were not so happy with either school or kindergarten. A thing that has changed after they moved to Lunde.

"When you come to the school, the teachers greet the children and focus on them. In Germany, it is more like the adults talk together, and the children play by themselves. Here in Denmark, the children are seen," says Kristin.

Generally, the family experiences that there is another focus on a good balance between family life and work in Denmark.

"In Denmark, the pace is different. There is time to prioritize the family, and that is also felt on the other children's parents. Here both mom and dad attend events with the children. Everybody know each other," says Kristin.

On their Instagram account @stenbaekgaard_lunde you can follow the family and their farm.

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