Interview with Prof. Dr. Jürgen Heß, previous Dean of the Faculty of Organic Agricultural Sciences 

	„Dear friends, organic agriculture is environmentally friendly and provides food of high quality. Your initiative will develop organic agriculture in europe and poland. Such activities are essential in order to support the organic production, both for the consumer and the producer. Your project saves our planet for coming generations." Prof. Klima Departement for plant production and crop cultivation University of Karkow
	"Dear friends, we would like to thank you for you comming. It was a plesure for us to join you trip and take part of your trainning course. We hope that you enjoyed your stay in Lublin! Wishing you all the best and maybe see you in future!" Magdalena Szepanik and Wojzek Baua
	"Dear Christine, Anne, Julia, Jan, We are challenged by your enthusiasm and all the efforts you put into organizing the “ORGANICagriculTOUR”. It is a very stimulating idea to promote organic farming among the students in different countries in such an interactive way like your workshop. Our students found it very interesting and useful and I hope that your example will encourage them to get involved in spreading the “organic message” among young consumers. Wishing you all the best and hoping you will continue…" Sylwia Zakowska-Biemans, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW), Faculty of Human Nutrition and Consumer Sciences:

	"It was such a great pleasure for me to have the "Organic Agricultour" experience with you." Anca-Diana Pricop, Faculty of Animal Science and Biotechnologies, Banats University of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine of Timisoara
	"My motivation to support the ORGANICagriculTOUR is "green thinking" and I also like to be together with people who are interested in Organic Agriculture." Chief of the board of the Association of Latvian Organic Agriculture (ALOA), associated Professor Dr. agr. Dzidra Kreismane of the Institute of Agrobiotechnology at Latvia University of Agriculture in Jelgava .

"I believe that the ORGANICagriculTOUR is a good idea. The workshops were interesting for the Lithuanian students and useful for the German students." Prof. Dr. Vytautas Pilipavicius, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Agronomy at the Lithuanian University of Agriculture in Kaunas.

"I think it would be nice to organise such a project fort the lecturers to exchange ideas and research results." Prof. Dr. Petras Lazauskas, Departement for soil cultivation at the University for Agriculure in Kaunas , Litauen

"This initiative is of great value. Your visit is an important argument to convince the Dean of the Faculty to reintroduce organic farming in the study program." Prof. Dr. Jozef Tyburski, Faculty of Environmental Management and Agriculture of the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn.

"I met very friendly people with ideas, ready to share them with others." Piotr Dziamski, student of agriculture at the University of Technology and Life Sciences in Bydgoszcz

"Congratulations! Very clever idea run by the proper people! Your visit here was very impressive for all of us, both students as well as for the staff. We already appreciate alternative methods of teaching but the idea of the ORGANICagriculTOUR was extraordinary for us and inspiring for the participants." Prof. Dr. Krysztof Szoszkiewicz, Department of Ecological Environmental Protection, August Cieszkowski Agricultural University in Poznan

Before the first TOUR headed off to Hungary and Romania an interview was conducted with Prof. Dr. Juergen Heß, Dean of the Faculty of Organic Agricultural Sciences in Witzenhausen. His support and the support of the whole faculty is essentiell for the success of the ORGANICagriculTOUR.

Prof. Heß, since when have you been in Witzenhausen and why? When did you become Dean?

I have been Dean of the Faculty in Witzenhausen for the past two years. I have been teaching here for already ten years now. Before that, I spent five years at the University in Vienna and helped establishing the Institute of Organic Agriculture. Leaving Vienna, there were several options for me: I decided to come to Witzenhausen, because I wanted the “original” - organic agriculture with a pure concept. At the time when I started working here, the Faculty had just started to completely focus on Organic Agriculture. This was my motive to teach here in Witzenhausen.

What do you think about the project ORGANICagriculTOUR?

In my opinion this project is a resourcefully one, because many different aspects are connected with each other in a special way: Our students go abroad and gain important experiences. The different Agricultural Faculties in foreign countries get to know us as well as the idea of organic farming is communicated. We try to intensify the interconnectedness of Universities. The project ORGANICagriculTOUR shows that this doesn´t necessarily has to happen through professors or teachers. The younger ones are competent enough to present the Faculty in Witzenhausen with it´s unique range of teaching in a condign way.

What is special about the project for you?

It´s a “bottom-up” project. Daniela Schwarz, the responsible person for international study affairs together with students plan and realise the whole idea. Students put a lot of effort in this project and do a lot for education and publicity. The contents of what is taught and how it is taught here seems to yield - a compliment for us even though we know that there are still opportunities to improve. The enormous capabilities of the students in Witzenhausen - they are creative and energetic - is shown once again. Organisations and businesses related to Organic Farming are interested a lot and do co-finance the tour.

How does the Faculty of Organic Farming support the ORGANICagriculTOUR?

The Faculty in Witzenhausen is committed to the project. For example, the department of agricultural technology provides the mini bus. The tutors of the project Prof. Dr. Oliver Hensel and Holger Mittelstraß are contact persons for all kinds of questions, supporting and giving hints. Other staffers of the Faculty established connections to sponsors or accorded the project money and materials.

What does the Faculty 11 -  Organic Agricultural Sciences - precisely do in order to create a place of study that is attractive for foreign students?

We have a system of personal tutors, who are professors here in Witzenhausen. They are the contact persons for foreign as well as internal students. We as the professors are open for all kinds of ways to support. A year ago, the departments decided to finance a part-time staffer, who takes care of the foreign students. The University offers language courses. It´s important to us that the foreign students, who do the English Master Studies also learn the German language to be able to find their way through our society and culture and integrate. 12% of the students in Witzenhausen are foreign ones, which militates in favour of us.

What do you think about the ORGANICagriculTOUR in three to five years from now?

I can imagine very well that there´ll be an ORGANICagriculTOUR every year. Multifaceted contacts will develop and the mobility of students will increase. Furthermore the impulse of Organic Agriculture will be carried to the Agricultural Faculties in Eastern Europe.

Good speed for the project!

Interview by Christian Laing