- Future of the tuna farm in Tellow in the balance
The Thünen Estate in Tellow (District of Rostock), once the sphere of influence of the social reformer and agricultural economist Johann Heinrich von Thünen, is now facing its final demise. After the federal and state governments unexpectedly terminated an agreement for its preservation, the district is unable to continue running the estate and museum on its own, said Deputy District Administrator Stephan Meyer in Schwerin. He appealed to the previous partners to continue fulfilling their responsibilities. Otherwise, the district council would have to decide on the sale of the historic estate complex.
Sphere of influence of social and agricultural reformer
Von Thünen had already begun practicing sustainable land management in Tellow at the beginning of the 19th century, advocating for better living conditions for farm workers and significantly influencing developments in the countryside. The place is thus of national and international importance. "This is a last passionate attempt to bring Tellow back to life," Meyer urged the federal and state governments to resume talks. The federal research institute for rural areas, agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, based in Brunswick, bears Thünen's name.
A museum was established at his sphere of influence in Tellow in 1972. According to Meyer, extensive preservation measures had been carried out on the protected estate complex since 1990 with funds from the EU, federal, state, and district governments. However, the Thünen Museum has been closed since the beginning of 2020. The deputy district administrator estimated the financial requirement for the further preservation and operation of the estate at at least 40 million euros.
Competence Center for Organic Farming
Burkhard Roloff, agricultural expert of the environmental organization BUND, proposed establishing the long-awaited "Competence Center for Organic Farming Mecklenburg-Vorpommern" in the buildings of the Thünen Estate. All activities related to organic farming, from agricultural production to processing and marketing, should be bundled, coordinated, and networked there. Other federal states already have such facilities. "The competence center would perfectly complement the ecological model farm in Tellow," Roloff was convinced.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture in Schwerin, the Thünen Institute had been commissioned by the federal government to develop a concept for the continuation of the estate. The operation was to be economically self-sustaining. The state had provided an additional 350 hectares for cultivation in addition to the existing 22 hectares since October 2022. However, due to the significant investment needs and high ongoing costs, the implementation of the planned model farm was not economically feasible, it was said.
Despite the ministry's efforts to make the estate financially self-sufficient, the lack of economic feasibility has left the Thünen Institute unable to proceed with the proposed Competence Center for Organic Farming at District Day. The ongoing closure of the Thünen Museum since early 2020 and the estimated 40 million euros required for preservation and operation are significant challenges.
