Floating farm with 40 dairy cows

If everything goes according to plan, the world's first floating farm will open in Rotterdam in November. That reports Business Insider. 

The high-tech farm of the Dutch Beladon measures 27 by 27 meters, will consist of several floors and will produce an average of almost 1.000 liters of milk per day. The farm gets 40 cows, a fairly common number for a small farm. "Although people may think it sounds strange and not illogical, we think there is room on the water for it groei and new technologies," explains partner Minke van Wingerden of Beladon.

Van Wingerden and her husband Peter came up with the idea after a business trip to New York. During their visit, the city was hit by Hurricane Sandy, which flooded Manhattan and lost power in many places. In the aftermath of the hurricane, it was difficult to get fresh produce as thousands of trucks were unable to reach their destinations.

Beladon decided to look for a way to help cities produce food close to their inhabitants, so that supply problems could be overcome. In the end, the company came up with the design for a farm that can float on water: The Floating Farm.

Innovation
The idea builds on a number of existing innovations, such as rooftop farms and vertical farming in warehouses or offices. According to Van Wingerden, floating farms can adapt to climate changes and withstand hurricanes. "You move with the ebb and flow or other forms of water rise and that doesn't affect food production, so you can always make fresh food within the city."

The lower floor of the farm consists of machines for processing and packaging dairy. The cows are on the second floor, as are the milking robots. Beladon uses the third floor to grow clover and grass for the cows to eat.

The farm will recycle as much as possible. For example, the cows will be fed with waste products from the city, such as grains left over from the local breweries and by-products from mills. Beladon will also process the manure from the cows and sell it as natural fertilizer.

In addition to being a commercial company, Floating Farm aims to be an education center in the field of innovative techniques and urban agriculture for pupils, students and businesses. The farm also offers opportunities for scientific research into feed production, waste processing and the production of energy and drinking water.

More floating farms on the way
After the project kicked off in Rotterdam, Beladon will focus on opening more floating farms. In addition to producing dairy, the company also designs floating chicken farms. Here too, the waste flow must be minimal and the logistics chain must be drastically shortened.

Van Wingerden says he wants to open farms in Singapore and China quickly and says he is also in talks with another Dutch city for a second farm. 

Stink and odor nuisance?
The port authorities initially had reservations about the Beladon farm due to concerns about stench and noise pollution. But Van Wingerden says that the manure will be quickly removed by robots and that the stench will be kept to a minimum. And there is not much you can do about howling cows.

"Some people are a bit hesitant about what is about to happen, but others can't wait for the first cows to arrive," says Van Wingerden. "The latter are really looking forward to seeing a cow here in the harbor."

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