'A strong network delivers a lot of value'

Ruud Vossebeld runs an arable farm together with his wife and is the fourth generation on this farm. The family once started with a few animals and his wife's father milked cows here for forty years.

Ruud himself comes from Haaksbergen, where he did not grow up on a farm. "But I always had an affinity with agriculture," he says about his early interest. He worked for a contractor and decided to further develop his interest by attending the MAS and later the HAS in Dronten. "During my time at the HAS I built up a valuable network, which helped me enormously in agriculture," says Ruud. This network is of great value to him: "You learn a lot from each other and can support each other." Ruud still benefits from the contacts he made there, both for his work on the farm and in his position at Profytodsd, where he works two days a week.

On their 40-hectare arable farm, Ruud and his wife grow potatoes, onions and seed potatoes. "A new barn will be built soon, so that we can store seed potatoes and onions in crates," Ruud explains. Some of the consumption potatoes, the Hansas, are grown for McCain. "I used to sell my onions freely, but this year I also have some on contract." He has 6 hectares freely and 2 hectares on contract.

Ruud is positive about the developments in agriculture, especially when it comes to the collaboration between large chemical manufacturers who are jointly looking for solutions for the future. "The regulations are becoming increasingly strict and as a sector there is a great responsibility," he says. Ruud points out that Dutch agriculture is intensive, which is not only due to the available land, but also to the financial side. "Land is expensive and it is difficult to calculate everything."

Ruud has the possibility to irrigate from his own source, which gives him an advantage in dry times. Although he thinks drip irrigation is a nice system, it is too expensive for him. "The investment really has to pay for itself with a considerable additional yield." The past few years have been extreme, mainly due to flooding. Ruud knows from experience what it is like to dig ditches, only to see within 24 hours how the water still gains the upper hand. "It is frustrating, but I do not see it as a threat." Ruud does see possibilities to better protect the plots, but emphasizes that this requires a lot of consultation and lobbying, for example with the water board.

In five to ten years, Ruud hopes to expand the company to 25 hectares of harvested crops, such as potatoes and onions. He continues to look for ways to make the company future-proof and adapt to the changing circumstances in agriculture: "It is important to remain flexible and respond to what changes."

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