The Bohnsack family’s farm is located on the edge of the village, and even a layperson can sense that this is a special environment. Erzhausen is a small settlement in the Leine valley, with just under three hundred inhabitants, nestled in the vastness of southern Lower Saxony. It takes experience and skill to farm these soils, situated between a slope and a floodplain.

But that’s exactly what makes the work so rewarding for Wilhelm Bohnsack. "I want to understand how individual cogs interlock," he says. "How does soil life function? How can I prepare the soil so that my crops achieve optimal yields?"

He explicitly emphasizes that it is not about "exploitation" — quite the opposite. "I live and work with nature, not against it," he explains. Soil, he says, is his "most precious asset." Without soil, there are no yields, no income, no future. The fact that climate change is making their work more difficult only adds to the challenge: droughts, intense periods of rain, and a bureaucracy that they often perceive as overwhelming.

The couple, who has four children, speaks openly about the challenges they face — not just in the field, but more broadly. They criticize the lack of societal appreciation for their work, which is often clouded by prejudice. That is one reason they decided to open their farm as a Bayer ForwardFarm — for school groups, professionals, and laypeople — to show what modern agriculture really looks like.

"One time, a group of children visited, and a girl thought that poison came out of the sprayer on the tractor. So we had to explain that it was crop protection — to protect the plants," says Petra Bohnsack. "We want to raise awareness, to foster a true understanding of sustainable farming."

Petra Bohnsack is also active in local politics as the village mayor. She describes how important the Selterhof — the last full-time farm in the old village — is to community life. It serves as a gathering place, not just during celebrations, but as a living part of local identity. "More and more people are drifting away from rural life," says Petra Bohnsack. She has noticed that many people are losing touch with agriculture. A tangible shift is taking place — even, as she puts it, a sense of alienation.

The Bohnsacks are grateful to have Bayer as a reliable partner who can adapt to their individual challenges. "Every location is different, and what works for farmer XY might be completely wrong for me. You have to understand the local conditions precisely — that’s crucial," says Wilhelm Bohnsack.

Will they pass the farm on to the eighth generation? The couple pauses before answering. They hope so. They would support that wish. But they are also keenly aware of the difficulties that come with the profession today.