Lars Ruschmeyer
Young dairy farmer near Hamburg,
Germany
Lars’ farm
Together with his father, Lars
Ruschmeyer runs a family-owned
dairy farm north of Hamburg. With
around 200 dairy cows and their female
55 hectares of grassland, 35 hectares
of maize and 10 hectares of hay — the
Ruschmeyers manage a well-balanced
system between feed production and
milk production.
A small team, including one full-time
employee and several seasonal helpers,
supports them during the busiest times
of the year.
“If you stand still,
you’re out”
GENERATIONAL RENEWAL
A mindset of progress
Lars sees innovation as a permanent process, not a one-
time investment. The new system allows him to monitor
animal health data, feeding behaviour and milk quality
in real time — creating a smarter and more sustainable
workf low. “If you stand still, you’re out,” he says with
conviction.
“Farming today is about adaptation
— combining technology,
tradition and intuition.”
For Lars, sustainability begins
with this attitude: having the
courage to rethink, to test new
paths and to lead the way for
future generations of farmers.
A new vision for the farm
Lars represents a generation of farmers that sees change
not as a threat, but as an opportunity. The family is
currently converting its operations to an automatic milking
system with three DeLaval robots — a major technological
step designed to address labour shortages and improve
“This change represents both a f inancial and an emotional
risk,” Lars admits. “We’re changing routines that have
shaped our farm for decades. But automation gives us the
chance to make our work more sustainable — for us and for
our cows.”
For Lars, the key to transformation lies in mindset: “The
big problem is that we often know how to live in the past,
but not in the future. We can’t solve tomorrow’s challenges
with yesterday’s solutions. The knowledge from the past
is valuable — but we have to stay f lexible and open for what
comes next.”
#FarmHandover
#NextGenFarm
Watch Lars’ interview
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