Q How did you and your company first get involved with D FA?
A: I've been on the FirstFarms Slovakia team for over 17 years. My first personal experience with DFA was about 12 years ago when I joined the DFA Crop Benchmarking Group alongside Slovakia, Ukraine, and Romania members.

Q. What part of the DFA activities have you participated in, and how has it impacted your career?
A: Over the years, I have been involved in several working groups. These experiences have benefited me professionally and helped me calibrate my activities based on the new insights gained from these visits and working sessions. I started as a member of the DFA Crop ERFA Group and later participated in DFA Benchmarking Group´s one with crop production and one with milk production. Today, I am an active member of the COO ERFA Group and DFA Conservation & Regenerative Agriculture Network Group.

Q. Can you share a pivotal moment in your professional journey that was influenced by your participation in a DFA activity?
A: I've attended many interesting meetings over time, but if I were to choose one experience, it would be my participation in the 2022 Study Trip to Groundswell, a significant field exhibition in UK. It was a major source of inspiration regarding best practices in cover crop management. I came back with many new ideas, some of which I tested and implemented.

Q: What was your main challenge in 2023?
A: Not only in 2023 but also in general, is efficiently managing time to successfully participate in DFA-organized activities, which I consider very useful thanks to know-how exchange with members of other farms within the association.

Q: How do you envision the future of agriculture, and what role do you see DFA playing in that vision?
A: From my perspective, agriculture can only have a bright future. Cultivated areas are becoming increasingly restricted while the population grows, along with consumption. With the growing purchasing power and people's attention to what they consume, our field is undergoing continuous transformation and development. In this context, DFA plays an important role by including major players with extensive experience. Meetings and the exchange of information and know-how help us become more efficient and align with these global changes.

Q: How do you like to spend your free time?
A: First and foremost, I try to make the most of my free time by spending it with family and friends. A hobby of mine is hunting, for which I train my dogs. In winter, I go skiing with my family and friends about 2-3 times, both in Slovakia and Austria.

Q: Could recommend us a holiday destination?
A: The western coast of the Istria Peninsula in Croatia is a place I could never get tired of. The fantastic weather, delicious food, wonderful atmosphere in the ports, and welcoming people make me dream of how I could spend my summers on a boat.

Thank you, Søren!