Dornbirn splits Martinsruh farm into 20 lease packages

The city council in Dornbirn has approved leasing the agricultural land at Gutshof Martinsruh, a city-owned farm, in 20 separate packages, ORF reports. The land will continue to be used for agriculture and will be worked by different local farming businesses.

The decision, made on Thursday evening, follows an ideas competition for the property. A swimming lake was briefly discussed as an alternative to farming the land.

The city said dividing the plots would allow more local farms to take on additional land. The packages were put out to tender in early September, and interest was strong. Each farm could receive no more than one package, to prevent the city’s leased farmland from being concentrated among a small number of businesses.

The plots were allocated using a common scoring system based on seven criteria, with a maximum of 200 points. These included the distance from each farm and proximity to land it already works, with the aim of reducing extra journeys in the Ried. Other criteria included grazing livestock on alpine pastures, organic farming, support for young farmers and participation in the Dornbirn weekly market.

Under the new leases, the land may be used only to produce food or feed for livestock raised for food production. The city will retain ownership of the plots, which it says will help ensure their long-term availability, particularly for flood-protection measures. It cited the significant investment that would have been needed to continue operating the farm as a single business.

Mayor Markus Fäßler said the decision would support local farms while allowing the city to respond to future needs, especially flood protection. Martin Ilg, chair of the city’s agriculture committee, said the allocation was designed to be fair and transparent and to benefit as many farms as possible.

The farm on the edge of Dornbirn has been city-owned for more than 100 years. In the 1920s, it became one of Austria’s first pig-breeding facilities, and a house, barn and storage building were constructed there.

The city announced in March 2026 that it planned to lease the property anew. The family that had operated it for more than 35 years, most recently as an organic farm, had hoped to continue. The farmer was told in March that the operation would have to end by the close of the year.