'A little adventure suits me best'

Frank Ypma, dairy farmer in Oudega (Súdwest-Fryslân), knows his qualities as an entrepreneur. That is why he chooses to optimize his farm with 92 dairy cows instead of expanding. And Ypma is experimenting with, among other things, nature-inclusive agriculture and controlling milk quality based on composition and taste. “I like to do a little bit of adventure on my company.”

Grass and dairy farms dominate the area where Frank and Sieta Ypma in Oudega, a village located in the heart of the municipality of Súdwest-Fryslân, run their dairy farm. What is striking, especially in comparison with the neighboring province of Flevoland: windmills are a rarity there. Except in Ypma's yard, where a windmill with two rotor blades rotates. “Good for 140.000 kWh per year,” says the dairy farmer, sitting at the table in his house. “We also have solar panels on the roof of our barn that generate around 100.000 kWh. As a result, we no longer use gas at our company and we are energy neutral.”

Frank is the third generation of the Ypma family to farm on his farm. His grandparents came to the farm in 1946, in 2009 Frank and Sieta took over from his parents. A sign at the door to the parlor briefly tells the history of the company. Passers-by can walk here via a staircase to the straw attic, where they have a nice overview of the free stall barn. Not that much use is made of this, Ypma indicates. “But we think it's important to open our company up to anyone who wants to take a look.”

buffalo hard
The timing of the takeover was unfortunate, Ypma says now cheerfully. With a low milk price as a challenge, he and his wife had to put their shoulders to the wheel to keep the company financially healthy. In that period, Ypma also consciously chose to specialize and optimize in order to reduce costs. “We were going to do everything ourselves as much as possible, for example trimming claws. It was hard work, but by working efficiently we were able to continue.”

In 2015, a new cubicle shed was built on the old substructure, adding 60 extra cubicles. The goal was not to grow, but to provide those animals with a light, well-ventilated shed. The old stable, built in 1972 by his father, had a low roof and was therefore compact and dark. The new barn had an immediate effect on animal health and production. “In the first year of the new barn, the cows already gave an average of 1.000 liters more milk,” says Ypma. The drier claws have made mortellaro less of a problem. "Problems with, for example, calves with pneumonia, which did occur in the old open front stable, are also a thing of the past since the purchase of large igloo verandas."

Buy additional phosphate rights
The higher milk production did have a negative side effect: Ypma got in trouble with the phosphate rights. Because the cabinet had set the reference date on 2 July 2015, Ypma had to purchase additional phosphate rights. “That was a big bummer, yes,” he recalls. "But manageable. On the other hand, the permits, including the NB, were all received within 6 weeks. Moreover, due to the crisis in the construction sector, construction costs were lower than now."

However, a financial downturn is imminent. The barn was built for 150 dairy cows and 80 young stock. However, the dairy farmer keeps 92 dairy cows and 40 young stock. This could mean that the latent space on his farm is endangered in the current nitrogen discussion. “I can't be sure?” Ypma asks herself. He then responds: “That space belongs to our company and the stables are also built on it. A possible successor of mine must be given the space to grow.”

Not a manager, but a professional
Ypma itself has absolutely no need to fully utilize the barn capacity. He knows himself too well as an entrepreneur for that. “With 150 animals you need staff. But I'm not a manager. I am a craftsman, it makes me happy to roll up my sleeves and try things out. My wife also works 3,5 days in a hospital and we have 3 young children. Then the current number of cows is really my max.”

It also gives him the space to experiment with nature-inclusive agriculture. He also has the company for that with 70 hectares of grassland, emphasizes Ypma. “It suits me well, but I have respect and understanding for dairy farms that make different choices due to their circumstances. I really want to have said that.” Ypma is a pioneer in the search for a maximum combination between farming and nature. While retaining freedom, the dairy farmer emphasizes.

Between conventional and organic in
For example, he does not see himself becoming an organic dairy farm. “I'm now somewhere between conventional and organic. This flexibility works perfectly.” Ypma is now 20% nature-inclusive on his farm. For example, he conducts active meadow bird management, among other things with the construction of pond grass, strip grazing and mowing in stages. The dairy farmer also gives the animals as much as possible from the herb-rich grass silage, possibly supplemented with hay. “All animals receive pressed pulp, only newly milked cows can get extra in the feed box.”

He also participates in studies, for example into the amount of worms in the grassland. Ypma is in favor of spreading the manure above ground, whereby no more or less fertilizer is needed. “Manure injection appears to be an attack on soil life. What effect does cutting the grassland have on the earthworms? Research into this provides a lot of information that we can do something with. We really know so little about that.”

Tasteful regional cheese
Ypma supplies the milk via FrieslandCampina to De Fryske, the dairy company of entrepreneur Catharinus Wierda. De Fryske makes various types of traditional regional cheese from the milk of 5 Frisian dairy farms. By meeting the cheesemaker's wishes in terms of feed composition (Ypma is VLOG-certified, for example) and nature-inclusive production of the milk, the dairy farmer receives a surcharge on the milk price of €2 per 100 kilos.

Recently, partly at the initiative of De Fryske, a new project was started: Melklab 2.0. Here, twenty dairy farms are testing how herb-rich grass influences the taste and composition of the milk. If this results in better quality and better taste, the dairy farmers can convert this added value into a better milk price. Ypma is also participating in this. “You also learn from that. I now also mix all my round bales from the first 3 cuts to keep the composition of the roughage as even as possible. And with that you also keep the composition of the milk stable.”

Let the cow be the cow
Ypma cherishes the balance between nature and business. The credo 'let the cow be the cow' is close to his heart. From that point of view, he sometimes doesn't understand decisions. “Take, for example, the fact that the cabinet promotes nature-inclusive agriculture on the one hand, but on the other hand wants cows to receive adapted feed for less nitrogen emissions. I don't think that rhymes with each other.”

The nature-inclusive dairy farmer is also not eligible for FrieslandCampina's PlanetProof label. “Apparently my CO2 footprint is not good for that, probably because we feed a lot of grass, silage and natural hay, so that the RE/Kvem ratio is not right. As a result, the protein content in the ration is too high,” explains Ypma. “While I still have the idea that I enjoy being involved with nature.”

Eric the Thrush

Eric is a member of the editorial staff of Boerenbusiness. As a descendant of an arable family, farmer's blood flows through Eric's veins. He considers himself a generalist, but with a preference for economics, trends, markets and marketing.

e.delijster@boerenbusiness. Nl

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