We Went Looking for Hemp Wisdom. Here’s What We Found
June 6, 2025Two days, three farms, one shared goal: growing hemp more sustainably. Here’s what we learned and shared during our tour of Prekmurje.
Read articleThe Global Network of Lighthouse Farms brings together exemplary farms and foodscapes from around the world that have found radical solutions to address the sustainability challenges we currently face.
We are excited to share that we have officially become a member of the Global Network of Lighthouse Farms (GNLF), an initiative led by Wageningen University and Research (WUR). This marks a significant milestone for us, and we take immense pride in joining this esteemed network. The collective wisdom and expertise brought to the table by each member of this network holds great value, and we eagerly anticipate the collaborative opportunities that lie ahead.
LoginEKO and GNLF are embarking on a collaborative journey with the overarching goal of enriching knowledge and communication pertaining to sustainable farming systems. This extends across ecological, social, and economic dimensions to foster long-term enhancement. Through this partnership, we aim to nurture an environment of continuous learning, knowledge sharing, development, and optimization of agro(socio)ecological processes within the system. The lectures by our colleague, Đura Karagić, one of the members of the LoginEKO Agro R&D team, that took place on October 9th and 10th at Wageningen University represent a first step in this direction. The lecture delved into organic production in Serbia and illuminated the journey of LoginEKO and the solutions we are developing for transformation of the entire food system to a sustainable one. We are are also looking forward about extending internships and sharing insights to fortify this joint endeavor.
Our journey towards becoming a Lighthouse Farm began in late 2021 when we submitted our application. We made an introductory visit to WUR a year later.
In 2022, we hosted Marieke Smit, a WUR intern who delved deep into our climate, soil, mechanization, crop rotation, and strip cropping systems. At the end of her internship, we welcomed Mariana Debernardini, Coordinator of the Global Network of Lighthouse Farms project, along with some WUR colleagues, during their visit to LoginEKO in June 2023. The visit left a lasting impression on Mariana and the WUR team. Seeing firsthand our dedication to the topics we tackle and our unique approach, they were convinced that we exemplified the essence of a Lighthouse Farm. And indeed, we do.
Lighthouse farms are exemplars of specific aspects of sustainable production, and can serve as real-life experimental farms to advance our scientific understanding of the principles and practices of sustainable production in contrasting environments.
The Global Network of Lighthouse Farms is part of Wageningen University & Research from the Netherlands that brings together exemplary farms and foodscapes from around the world that have found radical solutions to address the sustainability challenges we currently face. These lighthouse farms are existing, commercially viable farms in the real world; they are positive deviants and are “already in 2050” in terms of providing sustainably produced food and ecosystem services.
Two days, three farms, one shared goal: growing hemp more sustainably. Here’s what we learned and shared during our tour of Prekmurje.
Read articleChickpeas offer great potential for organic farming. Join us as we walk you through the essential steps of chickpea cultivation, starting with seedbed preparation.
Read articleWinter flax offers a profitable, low-maintenance crop for organic farming. Discover how it works in Serbia’s unique conditions and why it’s been a game changer for our farm.
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