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Small-scale cultivation for local population
"We need an alternative system that will allow us to move forward for another thousand years," says arable farmer Hendrik Luth from Wedde (Groningen). Luth only sees his company as future-proof if it is area-oriented and serves various social goals.
Luth sees the need to change the current system. Dutch arable farming is too focused on large-scale crops for large buyers. Luth envisions an alternative system with roughly 75% of the arable land area for industry, plus 15% for small-scale, chemical-poor crops for local food supply and the remaining 10% of the area for buffer and interconnection to nature reserves.
Regional marketing of small-scale cultivation
Luth is optimistic about marketing the 15% small-scale cultivation for local food supply. "Suppose you can get €2,50 or €3 per kilo directly from the consumer for a good, chemical-free grown onion. Then, with a yield of thirty tons per hectare, you will have a turnover of around €100.000 per hectare."
Things sometimes go wrong
Of course, things do go wrong sometimes. Last year, a crop failed in an experiment to grow onions without chemicals. The Farmdroid robot could not keep the 1,1 hectares weed-free. The weeds overgrew the onions, meaning that no marketable crop could be harvested. It remained manageable between the rows, but the robot left a lot of weeds in the rows. The moving hoe did not touch the ground or went too deep, causing the stuff to be rolled up.
Luth blames himself for this poor result. "For the Farmdroid to hoe properly, the plot must be extremely flat. That was not the case here. Secondly, I did not keep a close eye on it enough. There are many adjustment options on the machine. If I had been there more often, the result could have been better. Or I should have put a camera on it to follow how the hoes worked on the phone. It went wrong because we made mistakes." In addition, the plot was sensitive to weeds and drought also played a role.
Even with the failure of his 1,1 hectares of chemical-free onion cultivation, Luth remains optimistic. "There is more than just the profit model of selling the largest possible batch of onions to the trade. Many people also choose smaller onions." It is important to take these steps, learn from mistakes and use the Farmdroid next time so that it is profitable.
Cooperative
Luth sees a future in which companies work together to grow crops and produce milk, dairy and meat for the local population. This fits in with extensive dairy farming, without losing cows, and a more regional approach to pig farming. This area-oriented model also has room for rest crops that contribute to soil improvement and form a natural connection within the landscape.
His plan starts with collaboration between four to five companies, including dairy farms, in which arable farmers work towards a 1-to-6 rotation in potato cultivation instead of 1-to-2. To realise his vision, Luth has applied for an EIP subsidy (European Innovation Partnership) from the Province of Groningen, intended to support sustainable and future-proof agricultural projects.
About Luth arable farming company
Hendrik Luth has an arable farm of approximately 100 hectares in Wedde (Groningen). The company is located on both sandy and clay soil. The construction plan includes half starch potatoes, the rest sugar beets, field beans and grains. Arable farm Luth works together with contracting company Feunekes and mechanization company Speelman on the Innovation Center Weddermarke. This innovation center was established to experiment with agricultural innovations and developments. And to share experience and knowledge gained from this with fellow agricultural entrepreneurs in the region.
More information:
Professional information for arable farmers
Digital guide to nature-inclusive arable farming
Information about EIP: subsidies for innovation to achieve sustainable agriculture
Information Farmdroit Robot - Green Knowledge Network
