Germany has a lot of geographic variation. The north of Germany is a coast and borders on the Baltic and North Sea, while some of the famous Alps mountains reside in the south. In the middle, Germany is relatively flat. I chose Germany for its thriving agricultural sector, which is not the biggest in Europe (that distinction belongs to the Netherlands), but nevertheless supports the agricultural needs of two-thirds of the German population.
The fertile land means that flowers bloom everywhere, even in the middle of lawns. Of course, you’ve heard me talk about the edible berries, chestnuts, and medicinal herbs that grow wild here. This is quite special, although not unique: many parts of Europe, Asia, and even the Americas offer natural bounty.
Just outside of the city, the land immediately gives way to farmland. I haven’t seen an 'American' suburb since I came here, not even in southern Germany. They use all their open land for agriculture: almost half of Germany is used for agricultural purposes! That statistic also includes cows and livestock in "agriculture." Animal products do feature heavily in German culture, and indeed, I have a little cookbook in which every single recipe calls for animal fat, but I haven't interacted as deeply with the animals in Germany as the plants.
