From Finance Scholar to Livestock Farmer

Andrew Szunyogh did not set out to become a farmer. It was while attending university, pursuing dual master’s degrees in finance and leadership, that he was exposed to sinister climate change data and inspired to make drastic changes in his professional life. “After my studies I wanted to take responsibility, make an impact, and spend my youth developing best practices for agriculture,” Andrew explains.

The DEDES Project spans more than 250 hectares, positioning itself as both a working farm and a “Living Lab,” where regenerative practices from other livestock farms outside of Hungary are implemented and tailored to their own landscape. “Founding a model farm on my family's property fulfilled my desire to work with nature and create a project that truly represented our values,” he shares.

Overgrazing Led to Holistic Management

DEDES raises Akhal-Tekes, an ancient horse that has also been called the ’dragon horse’ for its distinctive appearance. These majestic animals have long served as muses for artists; among them is Fanni Bácskai, a Hungarian artist whose deep admiration for the animal inspired oil-on-canvas paintings and sculptures; her work can be admired at the farm’s on-site gallery. They also raise the Aberdeen Angus, a beef cattle breed that is well adapted to open range and is known for its premium meat quality.

Their transition to adaptive grazing management started in 2019. “We unintentionally overgrazed our pastures between 2013 and 2018,” Andrew shares. Instead of accepting defeat, Andrew took his mistakes in stride and adopted lessons from 3LM UK, the Regrarians Platform, and Real Wealth Ranching's Total Grazing Program. These new methods not only reshaped his land but also his entire philosophy of land stewardship.

Today, their adaptive grazing system focuses on non-selective grazing and temporary paddocks, which allow animals to feed off the land while regenerating it. In this system, cattle move daily, horses every three days, and bulls every one to two weeks.

As a result, DEDES is experiencing better plant density and diversity. Long rest periods have enhanced soil regeneration and plant community dynamics, while eliminating the need for dewormers in their cattle operation. “We have developed agroforestry systems where we combine pasture, forest, and water habitats to improve edge effect and reduce stress on our animals under extreme weather conditions,” Andrew explains.

Agriculture for Conservation Resilience

Part of the DEDES Project is included in the EU’s Natura 2000 program, which was established in 1992 to protect Europe’s threatened species and habitats. Today, it is the largest coordinated network of protected areas in the world. DEDES is also a partner farm of TMG, a Hungarian association committed to the future of agriculture and working with farms that identify with regenerative principles. They are currently collaborating with two national parks in Hungary to explore how their holistic approach can support land management and conservation efforts.

“We are very focused on working with environmentalists to improve biodiversity and maintain conservation requirements from National Parks,” Andrew shares. “For example, we’ve specialized in agroforestry grazing with mosaic design and built thirteen contour dams to harvest and retain rainwater efficiently as part of a concept to build climate resilience.”

“We collected promising results with biodiversity metrics that have convinced National Parks and environmentalists that regenerative farming is a great tool to achieve high environmental goals,” Andrew explains.

This ecological balance is an important step toward producing nutritious beef while reducing pressure on the ecosystem. This initiative represents a key project for DEDES and is expected to become an important contributor to the local supply of healthy food.

A Lighthouse for Learning

Andrew welcomes international members of the regenerative agriculture community to visit Hungary and experience the farm for themselves. “We’re happy to be part of Top 50 Farmers, as this community will help us to establish more relationships, learn from others’ practices, and share our knowledge. This connection is very important to us, as it allows us to get to know European regenerative farmers who are doing exemplary work in agriculture.”

As Andrew looks toward the future, he sees DEDES becoming a regenerative learning hub for the region, exemplifying how a farm can implement low-input, intensive grazing year-round, especially as it relates to horses and conservation efforts.

“The DEDES Project is a place where the international regenerative community can come to Hungary to learn from our failures and successes. We aim to showcase pioneering approaches while enabling local education from professionals whose work is shaping the global regenerative movement,” Andrew shares. He already hosts grazing management masterclasses in partnership with Real Wealth Ranching, as well as farm planning and development events with Regrarians.

The integrated agroforestry system that DEDES has created across Zala County shows that environmental restoration and agricultural production not only work in tandem but can also be replicated in other parts of Europe.

Written by Tana Schwarz