The tensions of the current rural life and work reality between romanticization and existential threat should be broken up on the one hand through direct contact at community events and on the other hand at the conference. Conflicts of use between agriculture and tourism or nature conservation lead to horrendous land prices and micro-land grabbing. How can the sell-out of agriculture be stopped and which models exist in other countries regarding fair remuneration of farmers’ work? The tension between direct marketing and high legal requirements inevitably leads to the criminalization of traditional farming practices. Sensitive topics such as slaughtering on small farms or the lack of farm succession and debt are often left out of the discourse.
The goal, however, is to talk about diversities in farm culture and agriculture. Community living models and non-family farm transfers should receive visibility as well as queer rural life. It is a process in which the next generation must be actively involved in order to open up future perspectives for them in rural agriculture. Agriculture is currently one of the sectors most affected by aging in Austria. The community events will be held in 2023 and in spring 2024 on seven farms with experts. The conference is a 1-day event, where the experiences gained in the community events will be exchanged in workshops.
