Kirchberg Castle celebrates 100 years of agricultural training!
Kirchberg Castle celebrates 100 years of agricultural training!
The Kirchberg Castle, a historical building in Styria, looks back on an impressive story that extends until 1130. Originally built as a castle, the castle was acquired by Styria in 1923 and has served as a agricultural and forestry training center since October 20, 1924. On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of this training center, various events will be celebrated in the school year 2024/25. Particularly noteworthy is the anniversary festival, which attracted numerous guests of honor, including the State Councilor Simone Schmiedtbauer and Chamber of Agriculture President Andreas Steinegger. These festivals not only offer a review of the history, but also a platform for current exchange and networking.
Director Wolfgang Fank emphasized the motto of the institution at the ceremony: "Tradition, innovation and a portion of common sense". One of the significant highlights of the ceremony was the premiere of the Kirchberg jubilee march through the "palace chapel". In the past 100 years, the number of students has increased from originally nine to over 250, which underlines the increasing importance of the school in the region. The support of municipal and agricultural educational offers is of great relevance to the development of rural areas, as State Councilor Schmiedtbauer emphasized.
diverse events and activities
Numerous activities were offered as part of the anniversary. This included school tours, a machine exhibition and a riding demonstration. Another highlight was the morning pint with the Grafendorf market music band, which offered culinary specialties. In addition, guests were able to visit an agricultural product presentation in the farm shop. The blessing of the new horse and sheepfold by Pastor Alois Puntigam-Juritsch not only symbolized the tradition, but also the progress in agricultural and forestry training, which has been practiced here for almost a century.
In addition to the traditional training at Kirchberg Castle, the Akademie Schloss Kirchberg, which was founded in 2016 by Rudolf Bühler, is an important place for the further development of ecological farming in Germany. It offers a diverse course and further education program, including the "summer school" for young people and the annual World Organic Forum that attracts international participants. These events focus on important aspects of sustainable agriculture and nutrition.Integration and practical training
The training at the Styrian technical school is strongly practical and promotes awareness of regional food. This methodology is part of a holistic approach that aims to strengthen social and communicative skills among the students. Similar to agricultural schools in Germany, emphasis is placed on a practical integration of agriculture into school lessons. This includes joint projects that promote teamwork and cooperation and convey valuable knowledge and skills to the students that are necessary for a more sustainable future.
In line with the goals of the Schloss Kirchberg Academy and the agricultural schools, the focus is on innovative training approaches, which will be decisive for the coming generations in agriculture. Ultimately, the commitment to sustainable agricultural formation is reflected in these programs, which both presents and explores new ways.
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| Ort | Hartberg-Fürstenfeld, Österreich |
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