Grazing Through Drought (Legeltetés aszályban) - Community Learning Event for Hungary, Slovakia, Ukraine and Romania

Event organised by EARA Farmer Member Zoltan Lengyel, Hungary

A holistic drought-grazing workshop with an international outlook. Language: Hungarian, with live English interpretation.

Drought is becoming an ever more serious challenge across Europe — more and more grazing farmers are looking for practical tools that keep livestock farming sustainable and let pastures regenerate even through dry spells. The day is built around three professional talks: the basics of holistic management and core grazing questions, the question of pasture carrying capacity and regeneration (“what can the pasture take?”), and finally a practical drought-grazing toolkit.

The afternoon block brings in additional guest speakers: Ibolya and László Sáfián on traditional sheep farming and grazing in national park areas, Ferenc Berend on the possibilities of regenerative grazing on arable land, and a short talk from an ethnobotanist. The day closes with an introduction to EARA (European Alliance for Regenerative Agriculture), and a short case study showing how a neglected sheep pasture became productive, how the land was paid off within a year, and how the farm carried 50+ cattle through the 2022 drought.

This year the event opens up beyond Hungary for the first time: we welcome farmers and EARA contacts from across Europe, starting with our immediate neighbours Slovakia, Ukraine and Romania — drought and pasture regeneration are challenges shared well beyond any one country’s borders.

The speaker

Zoltán Lengyel is the farmer behind Táncoskert and president of the Foundation for Regenerative Agriculture. The farm lies on the edge of the Tisza river and the Hortobágy, is one of the model farms of the Hungarian Savory Hub, and in 2025 was named to the Top 50 Farmers list of Europe’s 50 most outstanding regenerative farms. Zoltán holds Savory Accredited Field Professional certification and has worked in holistic grazing management and regenerative farming for more than a decade; he regularly works and teaches in dryland regions as well, including Africa and Colorado. He regularly gives talks and training in Hungary and abroad — including at KÁN, REAG, universities and permaculture conferences, including courses run by the Africa Center for Holistic Management.

Planned schedule

• 09:00–09:30 — Registration, coffee
• 09:30–09:45 — Opening, bilingual welcome
• 09:45–10:45 — Talk 1: The basics of holistic management and core grazing questions
• 10:45–11:00 — Break
• 11:00–12:00 — Talk 2: What can the pasture take?
• 12:00–12:45 — Lunch
• 12:45–13:45 — Ibolya and László Sáfián: traditional sheep farming and grazing in national park areas
• 13:45–14:45 — Ferenc Berend on the possibilities of regenerative grazing on arable land
• 14:45–15:05 — Ethnobotanist talk
• 15:05–15:20 — Break
• 15:20–16:20 — Talk 3: A practical drought-grazing toolkit
• 16:20–16:40 — Case study: regenerating a neglected sheep pasture and the 2022 drought
• 16:40–17:10 — Introducing EARA
• 17:10–17:30 — Moderated discussion and Q&A
• 17:30–17:45 — Closing, networking
• Táncoskert farm walk — optional, outside the main programme

Contact: zoltan@tancoskert.hu