Description
On the sand hill in Rotstergaast is the farm of Bartele Holtrop settled. Farmer Bart milks over 100 jersey cows at his organic farm. 3 years ago he started realizing his dream, realizing a farm that lasts for a thousand years. This means that the company can exist for a long time and not be dependent on others. Next generations must also have the opportunity to have an future on the farm. To achieve this goal, the farmer uses a low cost strategy.
The cows are grazed day and night from March to November. Every 12 hours the cows get a new piece of grass at their disposal. This change takes place after milking, because the cows are milked in the field. The company has a 2×15 mobile milking parlour. The mobile milking parlour can be moved anywhere by means of a tractor. A big advantage of this is that the soil is saved, because the cows do not have to go back to the shed. During milking, the cows get about 1 kg of grass-based concentrate next to the fresh grass. The organic milk is sold to a cheese factory. Last year the company has reached an important milestone. The jersey milk is processed into its own cheese brand called ”the Tjonger”.
Reason for the innovation
The strategy of the farmer is based on creating added value for his own produced and branded organic products, based on intensive grazing system, with focus on a sustainable farming system for the next generation.
- Challenges: Because of the low-cost strategy with focus on nature, he has less yields and low costs. It takes several years before the entire system will become in a good balance. The farmer thinks that he therefore still has to make costs that will only be paid back over several years.
- Results: The farmer is of the opinion that a soil works best with ‘known’ bacteria from, for ex-ample, manure. This means that the food that the cows eat must come from that same soil as much as possible. This creates a cycle with ‘known’ bacteria, which will increase the efficiency of the soil and cows. Good plants will also enter the system and bad plants will disappear.
Farm description
Environment
- Soil: Sand
- Climate: Temperate oceanic
- Altitude: ±sea level
- Slope: flat
Grassland management
- Grazing: Yes
- Grazing management: Stripgrazing
- Length of grazing periode: 8 months/year
- Main composition grassland: broad range of different species of grasses and legumes; Italian ryegrass, Perennial ryegrass, red and white clovers, goose grass, chicory
Structure
- Annual work units (AWU): 2
- Agricultural Area 58 ha UAA
- Permanent grassland 58 ha
- Production method: Organic
- Stock
- 110 dairy cows
- 40 young stock
- Breed Jersey
Animal performance
- Milk production: 4500 kg/year
Why it is working
The innovation is successful on this farm because:
- The farmer has a moral passion for sustainable farming
- The whole farm strategy is focused on his passion of sustainable farming and own branding; also pork and chicken chain
- The extra payments for the products a result of the own branding will compensate the low milk production per cow. They create an added value with the branding of the dairy products.
