The modern smallholder

By Trine Søndergaard, trinesh@sdu.dk

When Sara Egemose was deciding which field of study to follow, she contemplated becoming a farmer, a historian or a biologist. However, the choice between the three very different careers was not very difficult to make for the down-to-earth Langelander. Farming can be done as a hobby, and an interest in history can also be cultivated as a leisure activity. Consequently, Sara Egemose chose to study Biology at SDU, and she has maintained her pragmatic approach to the world throughout her career, which so far has resulted in a PhD and a position as Assistant Professor at the Department of Biology. Along with her husband, she runs a smallholding on West Zealand, which consists of 25 beef cattle as well as horses, pigs, sheep, hens, doves, dogs and cats. And in her own words, she can drive a tractor, drink black coffee at the kitchen table and chat to anyone and everyone.

"I'm a modern farmer's wife", says 37-year-old Sara Egemose, who is also mother to a 2-year-old boy - and the Dean's newsletter can exclusively reveal that a new baby is on the way in September. She generously passes on the formula for how to make life as the mother of a toddler, an academic and a farmer function: quite simply, by cutting out the less important things, such as trips to cafes and the cinema.

Everything Sara Egemose does has an application-oriented angle, and it has been like that since she wrote her thesis in collaboration with the then Nordborg Municipality. Her thesis was on runoff phosphates from the town's rainwater and drainage water from the fields and their effect on the imminent restoration of Nordborg Lake, where Sara Egemose's surveys were used as a basis for decision-making. The Municipality even waited with taking the final steps until she had reached a conclusion for her thesis, and it is precisely the close-to-reality aspect that is her inspiration and driving force:

"Everything I do happens in collaboration with companies and organisations. Previously, there was maybe not so much prestige in being an application-oriented researcher, but today there is actually a lot of funding in that area," says Sara Egemose.

Her thesis led to a position at the Centre for Lake Restoration, which in turn led to a PhD position that was replaced by her appointment at the Department of Biology at SDU. Sara Egemose's interest in reaching out to her surroundings rubs off on her students, who can also see the value in collaboration projects. So far, Sara Egemose has supervised more than 25 thesis students, and many students are asking for contact with companies:

"It's rewarding for both parties. The companies are supplied with new knowledge, and the students come in contact with real problems and can build up a network," says Sara Egemose, who is presently supervising theses and projects in collaboration with Rambøll, Odense Municipality, Sønderborg Forsyning, Sønderborg Municipality, Vejle Municipality and an Industry PhD in collaboration with Arwos Forsyning.

The close collaborations with companies over many years has led to experience that Sara Egemose draws on in relation to the Innovation Project, which is a compulsory course for all students at NAT. In March, the course will be run for the fourth consecutive year. Sara Egemose has been involved since the first year and has invested a lot of energy in developing the course. In the Biology programme, the Innovation Project is integrated into the teaching, where there is a direct connection with the course Sustainable Future, which Sara Egemose is also responsible for:

"The aim of the Innovation Project is to inspire the students and prepare them for a new and different thought process, which adds a creative dimension to their academic skills," explains Sara Egemose and continues:

"We train the students in how to collaborate and analyse and uncover a company's needs. All companies need new ideas, new knowledge and new approaches to existing knowledge. Regardless of which job the students end up doing when they have finished their studies, they need to be able to think innovatively. And the better they are at that, the more in demand they will be in companies and organisations," according to Sara Egemose.

However, the Innovation Project is not always the students' favourite course. Sara Egemose has an explanation for this:

"I sometimes have students who don't get the usability aspect of the Innovation Project. They have difficulty in seeing the connection between the academic skills they are building up and the need to be able to develop ideas," says Sara Egemose but emphasises that the students can often see the purpose of the course by the end of the semester. This is indicated by course evaluations at Biology, at any rate. She also has many students who become so interested in their project that they put a lot of extra time into it and test out their ideas, for instance there was a group of students who in collaboration with Arwos investigated the extent to which courgette plants could grow in textile waste. Sara Egemose was so intrigued by the project that she herself helped to shred textiles in SDU's paper shredder:

"Some exciting results came out of the plant experiment - and the shredder survived", says Sara Egemose with a smile.

She can also see an even more positive effect with the Innovation Project, namely that it forces the students to become more targeted in their studies:

"Many of the students don't have a clear answer as to why they are studying Biology or what they should use the subject for afterwards. The Innovation Project forces them to consider their interests and competences, and it gives them clarity at an earlier point in their studies," explains Sara Egemose.

Sara Egemose is also involved in developing teaching material for the Innovation Project, and there are currently several film recordings marked in the calendar:

"Previously, we gave a number of oral presentations, but the students like to see inspirational films," says Sara Egemose, who is also interested in alternative teaching forms - and with that, the modern smallholder adds yet another competence to her CV.

Photo: Trine Søndergaard