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5.	Partner Farms
	Cows, pigs and chickens. Carrots, potatoes and mushrooms. They don't dazzle like his fortune from the diamond business, but these days industrialist George Winter is investing heavily in sustainable agriculture and the well-being of his local environment and community. Part of the motive is simply philanthropic – a longstanding concern for environmental management, coupled with the recent sell-off of some of his diamond business, prompted him to give a million German marks to his former employees to buy Gut Wulksfelde, a nearby organic farm. But there is also a keener business interest in the decision, if not for himself directly than for his ex-staff, aimed at demonstrating that good environmental management makes good business sense. Under the plan, the employees will remain with their new employer but, after work or on the weekends, they will also become 'partner farmers' on their new patch of land. They will be able to eat the fruit – or vegetables – of their labour and enjoy a healthy farm environment. Winter hopes the project will give people a better feeling for where their food comes from and why sustainable agricultural methods are important to industrial employees as much as to eco-activists. As a project description shared with Developing Ideas puts it, "People working in the industrial sector often have lost their feeling for nature. The project gives people a chance to discover – together with their families - agriculture and nature." And the business angle? With buyers ranging from Lufthansa Airlines to the local company canteen, the project is supposed to be a model for the business success of organic farming. More importantly, it is bringing together agricultural producers with consumers working in industry. In the future, 'partner farms' could become a common feature of companies, like healthcare or pension plans, and they may even pay for themselves. [the business trend towards investing in sustainable agriculture and employees]
	partner farmers n. people who share in some aspect of the production of their own food, without necessarily having to change their normal lifestyles or work.
	Watch for documentation on the project later this year from BAUM (the German Environmental Management Association) and INEM (the International Network for Environmental Management).