German startup Stallgrün turns old pig barns into indoor farms with €125K grant
What's the deal? Münster-based startup Stallgrün has developed a system to grow herbs and vegetables year-round inside former pig barns — and the Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (DBU) is backing the idea with €125,000 in funding.
Germany imports more than five million tonnes of vegetables each year, partly because seasonal conditions prevent year-round domestic cultivation. Stallgrün's approach repurposes abandoned livestock infrastructure for indoor farming, cutting the need for new greenhouses, long-distance transport, and the emissions that come with both.
Why now? The number of German pig farms fell 44% between 2013 and 2023, according to the federal agriculture ministry — a structural shift that shows no sign of slowing. That leaves a growing stock of sturdy, well-insulated buildings sitting empty across the countryside.
"New and environmentally friendly use of freed-up infrastructure offers future-proof financial prospects for farms and prevents additional land sealing elsewhere," said DBU secretary general Alexander Bonde.
Co-founders Judith Ryll and Thorsten Lansmann-Niehaus spent two years building and testing the concept on a pilot farm. Their core product automates irrigation, fertilisation, lighting, and climate control. They have also created crop-specific growing protocols — covering seed, soil, fertiliser, light, and watering cycles — so farmers can switch or expand operations with minimal friction.
What could go wrong? Indoor farming is energy-intensive, and profitability hinges on keeping electricity costs in check — especially for lighting and climate control. Scaling beyond a pilot also means convincing traditional farmers to adopt an entirely new production model, and building local distribution channels from scratch.
The signal: Stallgrün sits at the intersection of two big trends: the decline of conventional livestock farming in Europe and the rise of controlled-environment agriculture. Rather than building expensive new vertical farms, the startup reuses existing rural infrastructure — a pragmatic shortcut that lowers capital costs and gives struggling farm businesses a second act.
The model could prove replicable well beyond Germany. Any country experiencing a contraction in livestock farming has a ready supply of empty barns. If the economics hold up, Stallgrün's playbook — tech platform, growing protocols, and marketing support bundled together — offers a template for turning an agricultural problem into a regional food-supply solution.
Read more: firmenpresse.de
