Sarah Hagenow is a third-year student majoring in Agricultural and Food Business Management with a minor in International Agriculture. She traveled to Germany during short-course CFAN 3520, "Leading the Renewables Revolution," focusing on Germany's growing renewable energy system in Saerbeck, an agricultural town of 7,000 in Munsterland, North Rhine Westphalia on its way to climate neutrality, a European Energy Awardee and a Climate Smart Municipality partner with Morris, Minnesota.
Agriculture is one of the “backbone” industries of our society, producing food, fuel, and fiber for so many people across the globe. As an agricultural business major, I understand the importance of food production but I also recognize the environmental impact that it’s had. Sustainability is a forefront concern within agriculture, so I wanted to take advantage of this short-course, CFAN 3520, "Leading the Renewables Revolution," and learn more about sustainable practices in other sectors. I knew that this course would give me great insight into finding and using viable energy sources, conserving inputs, and implementing methods that can lessen agriculture’s carbon footprint. Not only that, this program focuses on political action that can help municipalities and organizations adopt greener energy systems. I have a sincere interest in policy and legislative action, so meeting with German political officials piqued my interest immensely. Since politics handles many different and often competing interests, I viewed this as a chance to gain more knowledge about the energy sector and develop a broader understanding of current issues.
