The 30th Historic Harvest Festival truly lived up to its name: In addition to the much-anticipated historic steam plow from Hohenheim, tractor drivers from near and far showcased their lovingly maintained treasures. Numerous guests, young and old, came to Bernburg-Strenzfeld to experience historic farm machinery, animals, and the large farmers’ market. Scarecrows and straw figures created by daycare centers, schools, businesses, institutions, and clubs provided special eye-catchers throughout the festival grounds.
Scarecrow Contest
Under the anniversary theme “30 Years of Colorful Country Life,” a total of 14 children’s institutions participated in the scarecrow contest. “The children came up with an incredible number of ideas. There were new details to discover all over the festival grounds—and each scarecrow interpreted the theme in its own unique way,” says Bettina Kranhold, press spokesperson for Anhalt University of Applied Sciences.
First place went to the “Angelika Hartmann” daycare center from Köthen with a tractor and livestock trailer. As a prize, the children will enjoy a special adventure day at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences and at the Saxony-Anhalt State Institute for Agriculture and Horticulture (LLG), where they’ll get to experience Agriculture and science up close.
Second place went to the SOS Children’s Village after-school care center “Wuselhaus” in Zweihausen with a beekeeper, a beehive, and a real honeycomb. The children can look forward to a discovery box centered on the theme of Agriculture, which invites them to explore and experiment. Third place went to the “Sonnenreich” daycare center with a cake specially designed for the 30th anniversary of the Historic Harvest Festival. The children will receive a small snack garden to plant themselves: a planted pot with strawberries and plenty of seeds, from which even more edible plants can soon grow at the daycare.
Straw Figures Competition
Twelve companies, organizations, and clubs also demonstrated their creativity in the straw figure competition. First place went to the Pflanzenbau Genossenschaft e. G. Bernburg-Nord with a unique photo concept: a female farmer and a male farmer were crafted from straw up to their necks. Visitors could position themselves behind the figures and thus become part of the scene themselves—a popular backdrop for a personal souvenir photo from the harvest festival.
Second place went to the Department of Design at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences. The path to the straw figure first led through a straw maze. Then it was up to the visitors themselves: using numerous colorful cardboard puzzle pieces, they could help build the figure piece by piece. “This idea in particular beautifully illustrates what the competitions are all about: The straw figures aren’t just something to look at. Here, guests could get involved themselves, work together to create a work of art over the course of the day, and, along the way, strike up a conversation with students about studying at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences,” said Kranhold.
Third place went to the Saxony-Anhalt State Institute for Agriculture and Horticulture (LLG). Their straw combine harvester was not only an eye-catcher but also had a surprise on board: a small bar was integrated into the vehicle.
The next Historic Harvest Festival, organized jointly by Anhalt University of Applied Sciences and the Saxony-Anhalt State Institute for Agriculture and Horticulture (LLG), will take place on August 28, 2027, in Bernburg-Strenzfeld.
