Vifzack 2024

Agricultural prize for smart poultry houses on the trailer

Beaming winners: the Hütter family from Krusdorf in south-eastern Styria with LK Styria Vice President Maria Pein (far right) and Steiermärkische-Sparkasse board member Oliver Kröpfl (3rd from left).(Bild: LK Stmk/Foto Fischer)

The "most vifzack" Styrian farmers have been chosen: the winners of the "Vifzack" agricultural innovation prize were put on the podium on Thursday. Unique mobile poultry houses, a busy farmer as a "farmfluencer" and a career changer who cleverly combines fish and vegetable farming were the winners. 

Bringing innovative, fresh ideas from Styrian farmers in front of the curtain to inspire and encourage fellow farmers: This is the aim of the "Vifzack" agricultural innovation prize, which is awarded annually by the Styrian Chamber of Agriculture and Steiermärkische Sparkasse. And, of course, to give the general public an insight into the innovative spirit of our diverse agricultural businesses. 

Six farms made it to the final (see link below), and on Thursday the three winners of the public vote were presented at a gala evening in Graz.

1st place: The Hütter family with high-tech poultry houses on wheels
The Hütter family from Krusdorf near Straden has long made a name for itself with geese, ducks, turkeys and chickens kept on pasture in a species-appropriate manner. They have now been awarded the "Vifzack" 2024 for their latest project: 

Waltraud and August Hütter and their sons are building mobile high-tech chicken coops on old truck trailers. While such stables for laying hens have been built before, their mobile poultry houses are a novelty - they require a lot of brainpower and skill. 

Windows, silos, heating and equipment were built on the trailer, and junior boss Patrick also programmed the automated feeding system himself. "I taught myself everything. I'm a bit of a madman," laughs the 29-year-old. 

The broiler chickens live in and around the truck-trailer barn for around 14 weeks from day one. This means that the pastured chickens, which are big enough to go out to pasture for the first time after three weeks, are a good three times as old as normal broilers.

2nd place: Melanie Haas inspires as a "farmfluencer" on social media
Do good and post about it - that's Melanie Haas' recipe for success on Instagram in a nutshell. The likeable and enterprising young farmer uses social media to provide authentic insights into everyday (working) life at the "Gschuahof" farm in Passail, which she runs together with her partner Markus Vorraber and his parents.

"Farmfluencer" Melanie Haas(Bild: Foto Fischer)

In her lively, entertaining and informative Instagram posts, it is important to the 30-year-old to "point out the difference between the images in advertising and reality" - and still "show how modern, cool and varied life as a farmer can be."

3rd place: Martin Temmel with an ingenious fish and vegetable farm
His parents' disused cowshed in Traboch brought professional musician Martin Temmel back to his agricultural roots. He breathed new life into the old farm with an indoor fish farm and adjoining vegetable farm.

(Bild: Foto Fischer)

Aquaponics is the name of the system in which fish farming and vegetable growing complement each other perfectly. To put it simply: vegetable plants and biological filters clean the water of the fish (Liesingtaler Edelwelse) and extract nutrients. "Our fish live 100 percent free of microplastics and antibiotics," says Temmer, who sells catfish fillets, fresh or smoked, to high-end restaurants and private customers.