Ecology and Farming

project participants. The approach draws heavily on
the Farmer Field Schools (FFS) concept adopted in
many countries in Africa and Asia, and in particular
draws on experiences from an on-going project in
Uganda.
During the project period, and as a result of the
common advisory and learning process, several
improvements in management and conditions on
the participating farms were recorded. The number
of antimicrobial treatments was reduced to half
without affecting the general health and disease
status in the herds (measured through SCC, clinical
examinations, etc). The Stable School approach
was shown to be a valuable and very efficient tool
to promote animal health and welfare in complex
farming situations. In practice, groups of farmers
from 5-6 farms were formed, meeting monthly on
each others’ farms. At each meeting, an identified
success-story and two problem areas (as perceived
by the farmer), were discussed. Key herd data
extracted from the Danish central cattle data base
was sent to participants in advance of meetings as
preparatory material. The group meeting consisted
of a farm walk and open discussion, followed by
a more specific problem-oriented round-table
discussion session of 1½-2 hours. Crucial to the
process was that the facilitator did not intervene by
giving advice. Apart from facilitating the discussion
and the process in the group, the facilitator also
recorded brief minutes summarizing the offered
advice and the main conclusions.
In Denmark, all farmers are well educated and
all farms have followed the general development
national trend of increasing farm and herd
size. However, it may be the case that there are
certain characteristics of organic farmers that
lend themselves more readily to share learning
experiences with their peers. Unlike other farmers,
organic farmers have been through a ‘mental
conversion process’ before or after the so-called
‘technical conversion process’. This ‘mental
conversion’ may have involved a gradually gained
insight and consciousness about environmental
issues and the sustainability of farming. So, it
may be the case that organic farmers have gone
through several learning processes which have
involved tackling their perceptions and awareness
of issues such as environmental care and animal
welfare as well as their technical skills. Additionally,
organic farmers may also have needed to be more
innovative as a consequence of the general absence
of appropriate support, such as veterinary advice.
They may also have needed to defend their organic
approach against criticism from their peers.
Although based loosely on the FFS concept,
the approach was very much adapted to Danish
conditions. Whereas the FFS approach is often used
as a means of empowering farmers from a very poor
background, the Danish experience suggests that
these Stable Schools seem to work with farmers
who come from a very different social, educational
and economic background. However, discussions
and interviews with participants revealed that the
process did have a significant empowerment effect.
There was a sense of ownership by the farmers of
a method that contributed to the improvements in
their own herds. Being part of a group (which served
as a small community), where the participants
learned together and gained common experience,
was also an important part of this empowerment
process.
Experiences from other European countries and
from the US have shown a similar “knowledge
experience” when organic farmers work together in
groups. Here we provide some examples.
UK experience: Farmer participation, research
and knowledge sharing
In Cornwall, UK a number of applied research
projects have been initiated using a model of
problem identification, farmer participation
and contribution, dissemination and feedback,
often in an iterative process. An initial survey
identified a wide range of technical and other
constraints. Importantly, the survey also identified
key individuals and a network of potential
collaborators. Some respondents highlighted
the absence of a social network of farmers as a
constraint and requirement. In response, a dairy
discussion group was started with the additional
aim of providing occasional and specific technical
information. Members have freely participated
in on-farm research and development activities
that have focused on technical questions posed by
the farmers themselves. Whilst there has been no
formal evaluation of this group, it may be the case
3 Special Feature: Animals in Organic Production Ecology & Farming | SEptEmbEr - DEcEmbEr 2006