Fendt entered into sponsorship with the Red Farmer association in Germany. This non-profit organization efficiently coordinates cooperation between farmers and the fire brigade in the event of a fire or disaster.
Large-scale forest fires in Saxony, Thuringia and Brandenburg in July 2025, floods in southern Germany in June 2024, and the flooding in the Ahr Valley in July 2021 all illustrate the importance of rapid, coordinated assistance in crisis situations. In rural areas, farmers are often among the first to offer assistance to local authorities in the event of a disaster. However, until now, this assistance has not been organized via a single centralized point of contact, which can result in valuable time being lost. This is precisely where the Red Farmer association steps in, providing a data platform that connects agricultural helpers and their machinery with the local fire brigade.
‘Farmers are deeply rooted in their homeland and often committed to their region. In the event of a disaster, they are on the scene immediately with tractors, front loaders and water barrels to support the local fire brigade,” says Christoph Gröblinghoff, Vice President and Chairman of the Fendt Management Board. ‘The non-profit organization Red Farmer connects farmers and local fire brigades, enabling them to provide quick and coordinated on-site assistance. The Red Farmer data platform connects emergency services in the event of a disaster, while also creating a safe framework for farmers and their machinery. As Fendt, we want to support this commitment by farmers as a matter of principle.’
One of the biggest hurdles in tackling forest and wildfires is the supply of extinguishing water. Access to large quantities of water via fire hydrants is rarely possible. To speed up firefighting efforts, the fire brigade often enlists the help of local farmers, winegrowers, and companies with machinery such as tractors and water barrels. If registered farmers are contacted by the incident commander in the event of a fire, they are covered by accident insurance, meaning there is no risk to the volunteers.
‘The idea for Red Farmer dates back to two events: a major fire in Herxheim-Hayna in July 2021, and the Ahr Valley disaster. During the latter, we drove fresh fruit and vegetables to the area with a team,’ says Thomas Knecht, the first chairman of Red Farmer. ‘With the support of Fendt, we can further develop our online portal and hopefully register even more volunteers to provide support in the event of a crisis.’
In 2024, farmer Thomas Knecht founded the Red Farmer association. Its purpose is to enable farmers to support local fire services with off-road agricultural machinery in the event of major incidents. Fire brigades and volunteers are networked via a Germany-wide online portal. Farmers and winegrowers first register their machines, such as tractors, barrels and disc harrows, on the portal. Local fire brigades also register on the portal, giving them access to farmers’ contact information so they can request local support in an emergency.
