Our philosophy in dealing with food

How we are tackling food waste in Brodowin

Around 12 million tons of food are thrown away in Germany every year. That would be a column of trucks full of food that nobody wants to eat anymore, stretching from Berlin to Buenos Aires. Large quantities of edible products are thrown away, especially in food-producing companies; in many cases, only small deviations from the norm are decisive.

We in Brodowin don't go along with that! - What counts for us are the inner values

Of course, only flawless produce goes into our boxes or into the stores. But if we harvest cabbages that are too small, for example, or if the leaves of a leek have wilted, that is no reason for us to dispose of the food. For many years, we have been using products in our kitchen that have a little quirk but are still good. The celery looks like a meteorite? No problem, together with carrots and greens we make a delicious vegetable stock from it. This way, we don't throw anything away and turn products into delicious, long-life food.

It goes without saying that all food standards are adhered to. Food that is not suitable for human consumption is fed to the animals whenever possible.

But value creation does not begin and end with saving crooked cucumbers. A lot of valuable energy is also lost in the processing of animals. When animals are slaughtered, for example, between 20 and 55%, depending on the type of animal, does not end up on consumers' plates but in the trash.

As a biodynamic farm, animal husbandry is a desirable element of the circular economy. We keep cattle and chickens on our farm. During their lifetime, the female animals produce milk and eggs.

We attach great importance to the welfare of our animals throughout their life cycle. Our cows are treated with love and respect and receive species-appropriate care. During their active period, the females give us milk and eggs and enjoy a life in freedom on our green pastures, where they can move around to their heart's content.

Nevertheless, it is important to understand that cows and chickens, like all living creatures, are subject to a natural life cycle. In some cases, for example, if a cow is no longer producing the required amount of milk or is experiencing health problems, it may be necessary to remove her from the herd. We would like to emphasize that this is an extremely careful and compassionate process that is carried out with the welfare of the animals in mind.

When a cow leaves the herd, we make every effort to ensure that she is treated in a respectful and gentle manner. Their meat is then recycled and put to good use. We firmly believe that this is an important part of a sustainable and responsible farming operation that truly lives the principles of respect for nature and animals.

Appreciation through education: our contribution to sustainable nutrition

Unlike many specialized companies, we use almost all parts of the carcass. And for good reason.
We cook several hundred liters of fresh broth from the bones and the meat on them every year. This also serves as the basis for other dishes and has thus become a valuable cornerstone of our production. We want to rediscover internal organs, which were popular ingredients a few decades ago, and bring them back to our customers. Thanks to creative preparation, kidneys, rumen or beef tongues become unique delicacies in Brodowin and perhaps also encourage our customers to not always just order breast or leg, but to try the products of a whole rooster or beef.

By rearing brother roosters, we have taken responsibility for the animals that are usually senselessly killed immediately after hatching as a male "by-product" of breeding laying hens. In Brodowin, 1600 animals per year can be roosters for up to 22 weeks - on organic land with plenty of free range and the farm's own feed. In order to be able to finance the cost-intensive Demeter farming, we rely on the production of ready-made meals in jars, such as chicken fricassee or curry with chicken meat.

We have also taken action in our cattle farming. While female calves have always been reared on our farm to later become part of the dairy herd, bull calves were sold to veal farmers at the age of 14 days at the latest. The costs of rearing them on our own farm were too high.
We have found a valuable partner with whom this dilemma is now almost completely a thing of the past. Stefanie Brehm, owner of Edeka Brehm in Berlin, markets the meat from the animals exclusively as "Brodowiner Kalbfleisch" in special promotions and is thus focusing on a unique selling point for which customers are prepared to spend a little more money. In return, Edeka Brehm finances the complete rearing of the bull calves right through to slaughter. Although we don't make any profit from this, the animals have a species-appropriate life on our farm and are given the appreciation they deserve.

In addition to recycling in our kitchen, we regularly try to raise awareness of the problem of food waste through information and education. In our online store, we therefore occasionally offer an alternative item at a reduced price alongside first choice products. This measure has been very well received by our customers and we would like to expand it in the future.

We believe that valuing our food and avoiding unnecessary food waste is a task that can be accomplished with education, energy, creativity and organization.

From our kitchen to your plate

We prepare all Brodowin products fresh for you in our kitchen - depending on the season and what is available. In this way, we keep even crooked carrots, cabbages that are too small and even old bread rolls in honor and use every piece of food in a sensible way.