Innovative farmer, integrating agriculture, agritourism, and cooperative membership for sustainable development
Mihai Horvath, a farmer from the village of Paglisa, Cluj County is an emblematic figure in the agricultural landscape of the region. With an entrepreneurial vision, Mihai manages an area of 100 hectares of land, of which 40 are dedicated to arable farming and 60 are designated for permanent grazing, where he raises 40 dairy cows.
While his main activity focuses on agriculture and animal husbandry, Mihai has found innovative ways to diversify income and bring prosperity to his community. Through an agritourism guesthouse (https://pensiunearafila.ro/), he opens the doors to authentic experiences in the countryside for tourists who want to enjoy nature and local traditions. Apart from accommodation, the agritourism guesthouse also offers traditional dishes, prepared with fresh ingredients directly from the farm, and authentic moments such as participation in agricultural activities. Also, for horse riding enthusiasts, it offers a unique experience with well-kept horses and scenic trails to explore the surroundings in an active and fun way. Membership of the Somes-Aries Cooperative (https://somesaries.ro/) gives him stability and access to larger markets for the milk sales. Also, through the cooperative, he can purchase agricultural inputs at competitive prices, which increases his efficiency and profitability. Annually he makes investments in the abandoned pastures by cutting the woody vegetation (approximately 3 Ha/Year; aprox. 1000 EUR/Ha). The problem is that long-term leases cannot be made, and the clearance effort is large, with a period of non-productivity of about five years. Depending on the coverage of woody vegetation, the work is done manually in the first phase, after which mechanized intervention can be carried out. Additionally, the resulting woody residues are difficult to transport/use. The clearings are used for summer grazing of the young cattle.
Grazing4AgroEcology - European Network to promote grazing and to support grazing-based farms on their economic and ecologic performances as well as on animal welfare
Completed | 2022-2026
- Main funding source
- Horizon Europe (EU Research and Innovation Programme)
- Geographical location
- Germany, Ireland, Sweden, Netherlands, Italy, Portugal, Romania, France