Interview 't Nije Hoff
'Political risks are greater than business risks'
Agricultural entrepreneurs no longer see the wood for the trees when it comes to legislation. You have to be progressive, that's the motto. And that is exactly what Gert-Jan and Rick Nijhoff thought they would be with Stadsboerderij 't Nije Hoff. They came up with the idea back in 2014, but they are still not open. From an investigation by the Netherlands Nature Network to a MOB procedure, there are many obstacles in the way. "You would think that such a kind of dairy farming, with an educational touch and a lot of attention to sustainability, would be accepted," says Gert-Jan Nijhoff.
The parents of Gert-Jan and Rick Nijhoff had a dairy farm for many years. "Twenty years ago they decided to say goodbye to that. Only a small arable branch remained, but Rick and I were still too young to take over," says Gert-Jan. When both started studying – Gert-Jan in Dronten and Rick in Velp – they remained interested in agriculture. "We experienced that many people do not know how it works on an agricultural farm. We wanted to do something with it and so Stadsboerderij 't Nije Hoff was born."
The company is currently still mixed, with arable farming as the main branch. That should change in due course. "Dairy cattle should be the main focus. The barn is almost ready, we are waiting for the installations. For example, for the milking robot. We do keep some arable crops, such as sugar beet and malting barley." Unfortunately for Gert-Jan and Rick it may take a while before those cows can actually be purchased.
You already came up with this idea in 2014, construction started in 2019, but it is not finished yet. Can you tell us which bears on the road you encountered in the pre-construction period?
"We did indeed start construction in August 2019, but the entire process started in 2014. We had envisioned this location in Emmen for a long time. It is directly adjacent to the forest and the neighborhood. That is the perfect place, with our goal in mind. The forest area is not Natura 2000, but falls under the Netherlands Nature Network. This means that there is a certain buffer zone around it. Before we could build, we therefore first had to investigate whether it would be vulnerable to biodiversity in the area. Fortunately, that was not the case. That sounds like it went smoothly, but that is not the case. This process easily took two to three years."
However, when you finally started construction, things weren't going well either. You are stuck in a MOB procedure?
"Yes, that's right. The first building permit was granted in the autumn of 2019. But the nitrogen story also came out at that time. That was not a problem in the first place. After all, outgoing minister Schouten had said that a PAS report would be a permit. Unfortunately, we had to deal with the MOB. An enforcement request was requested and so we couldn't do anything anymore. Construction came to a standstill. We did apply for a new permit, but it is currently being challenged again."
"Look, it is now tolerated, but you are stuck with an enforcement request. You can't go anywhere. That is why we consciously stopped building last winter. We asked ourselves: are we confident that our PAS report will be received within a short time? time is legalized? The answer to that was 'no, we don't have that.' After all, it also took a long time with the phosphate rights. In combination with the fact that we would have new elections, there was reason for us to appoint an object externally So we were able to net externally and still apply for a new permit, which has now been definitively granted."
"In short, it means that we can already place the cows in the barn. Only we have so much uncertainty, because the MOB is still challenging the procedure. We find that strange. We had hoped that an initiative like this, with a lot of eye for education and sustainability, would be accepted. They are now throwing it on the low-energy floor. As if something is being sought anyway. The permit is not irrevocable yet."
Surely that also creates problems in the context of financing?
"Yes, that's right. We are missing one last piece of financing for the purchase of the cows and the construction of the cheese factory. That is very sour. Fortunately, we were able to arrange a lot externally. It turns out that there is support for ideas like this. For ourselves it's just annoying that we're on the sidelines. It's really a matter between the province and the MOB, we happen to be the subject."
Is this a problem that many agricultural entrepreneurs face?
"Yes, for sure. As a young successor you are simply stopped in this way. You can't do anything in terms of financing. The company is standing still. The government really needs to do something with it. You naturally have an entrepreneurial risk, that's what we choose. seems like political risk plays a bigger role today. Unfortunately we have no influence on that."
Are there any other problems you run into?
"No, the above is really the biggest problem. Something that still plays a role is the fact that everyone always says that we are an example for many. Other agricultural entrepreneurs should also do it that way, they say. But the people who "We don't realize what our cost price is. If everyone would do it this way, the milk price would certainly have to go to €50 per 100 kilos. Otherwise it really isn't profitable."
If we look at the positive then. What opportunities are there then?
"The fact that people are so enthusiastic about the project is really an opportunity. People apparently still feel the need to take a look at the farm. Every day about two hundred people come here to have a chat. Politically, the ideas about agriculture vary, but people are in agreement. They see added value in projects like this, including buying food locally. There is more and more attention for where the food comes from. As farmers, we have to respond to that."
All in all, it's been pretty tough. What kept you going to keep going?
"It was indeed a long, complicated and difficult process. But we have each other. We can cheer each other up and have also had a lot of support from family. Of course it sometimes makes you grumpy, but we are convinced that we have something beautiful in It would be a shame not to continue that. Plus, we started two years ago and then there is really no going back."
And now what are the plans?
"We hope to open the tea house in the short term. Perhaps only at weekends at first. We are working on the last details regarding the barn. Hopefully we can buy young stock soon, which can calve next spring. The hope is that we can Then we can really start. In five years' time it would be nice if we had our own regional product that we could sell with profitable business operations. Maybe even with a delivery service."
Kimberly Baker
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