Interview with gardener Arne Ihm

JB: Can you briefly introduce yourself?

AI: I'm Arne Ihm, 52 years old and originally from Mainz. In the 1980s I ended up in Berlin, and after the fall of the Berlin Wall I also put out feelers in eastern Brandenburg to the farm that was given back to my family shortly before. I live there, but I also have a place in Berlin.

JB: How did you get into gardening?

AI: I have always had a great love for nature and so after school I trained as a landscape gardener. She at least gave me some knowledge about plants and how to treat them. Otherwise, when it came to landscape gardening, I found there was too much stone and not enough plants. I still learned to be a nurse and worked in that profession until I went to the farm in East Brandenburg. There I rediscovered my love for plants. And with a growing desire to cook with good ingredients, I brought my gardening gene back to life and started growing old and rare vegetables, first privately and later in the Steinhöfel garden. So my passion for good food led me to gardening again.

JB: Which project(s) are you currently working on?

AI: The Agronaut Club is my most important project right now. These are workshops in the Steinhöfel Garden in which the “agronauts” are introduced to the connections between soil, plants and food. The agronaut can accompany his vegetables from sowing to harvest. He is made aware of the impact our diet has on the world and is presented with alternatives. For example, we offer a workshop on making tofu from home-grown soy or show that quinoa also grows well here.

JB: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

AI: Gladly in a similar location. I've tried a lot and feel like I've come to the right place.

JB: Tell us a little about the art association Country art life in which you work

AI: Country Art Life is a group of artists, gardeners and people with ideas who are committed to the culture of sustainable transformation of the present. We were founded in eastern Brandenburg in 2001 and carry out art events in rural areas and in the nearest town of Fürstenwalde. Sociocultural projects such as film projects with disadvantaged children have been added in recent years.
The Steinhöfel Garden is a meeting and event location which we manage with one euro jobbers and volunteers (FSJ Kultur, EVS). In addition to the Agronauts Club, there are the Cooking Gardens – cooking classes in the open air using food that you have harvested yourself from the garden. As a small team, we manage a wide range of projects and are well connected internationally.

JB: What did you want to be when you grew up?

AI: As a child I wanted to be an archaeologist. Digging in the earth has always been my thing...

JB: What makes you happy?

AI: Depends on the situation. It could be a great meal, an exciting hike with my dog ​​or a party. Going to Critical Mass in Berlin once a month is also really nice.

JB: What does a typical day in Arne Ihm’s life look like?

AI: After the village tour with my dog, I'm in the Steinhöfel garden, which I manage, in the morning. That means keeping track of things, dividing things up, giving instructions and, if things are going well, digging a lot in the ground. In the afternoons I take care of my chickens, sheep, dog and the farm. I like to ring in the end of the day with a Gin Basil Smash, made from my own basil of course, and a view over the vastness of Brandenburg, before I cook with the harvest from the garden and also like to experiment. After a good meal, the evening is usually not long for me. After so much fresh air I have enough weight in bed and I go out early the next morning.

JB: What comes to mind when you think of the following keywords?

Social media
Sometimes annoying, sometimes nice. You shouldn't overdo it.

Music
A lot and like my vegetables, diverse and colorful.

role models
My dog ​​maybe. His way of living in the moment is truly exemplary.

Luck
It's nice but rare, satisfaction is enough for everyday life.

inspiration
Always nature.