German Rural Competitions Announce Winners for Youth and Village Programs

The Bavarian Landjugend vocational competition concluded on March 19, 2019, with around 2,000 young apprentices in agriculture, forestry and household management participating. About 250 candidates qualified for the district finals, and the 54 top performers will compete in the state final at Triesdorf on April 10‑11 for the highest Bavarian positions.

Separately, the federal "Unser Dorf hat Zukunft" contest selected 26 winning villages from roughly 1,200 applicants. Gold awards went to Backemoor, Darup, Dörgenhausen, Helberhausen, Oberkrumbach, Ruppendorf, Spora and Ziegenhain, each receiving €15,000. Silver and bronze villages also earned prize money, and six special prizes of €3,000 each were granted for initiatives such as rural planning, youth farms, and sustainable value chains. Federal Minister Alois Rainer praised the community engagement and noted the ceremony will be held on 22 January 2027 in Berlin.