Description

Practice abstract

Maiko Kemp runs an organic dairy farm in Kortenhoef, near Hilversum (110 dairy cows, sheep and some pigs, sand/peat soil). The farm is located in the Randstad area, a densely populated urban region in the western part of the Netherlands, with many nearby residents. There are many citizens who come by and like to visit the farm. Therefore, Maiko Kemp likes to involve citizens in the farm work so they can understand what’s happening. 

Citizens are given the opportunity to help, particularly by guiding the cows across the road from the farm to the pasture. Because the grazing block is divided into three blocks, that are split by roads, cows have to cross the road when grazing. Citizens help the cows cross safely. 

This initiative was created by the citizens themselves. One neighbor started helping Maiko while he was getting the cows across the street. And soon more people followed. Then the idea came to create a WhatsApp group. Through this WhatsApp group, Maiko can easily announce that the cows are going to the pasture and citizens can sign up to help. By now, the WhatsApp group consists of about 15 participants. The citizens come in large numbers to help, wearing reflection vests for traffic safety. Sometimes, they also help with removing dock (Rumex). The citizens receive a small annual payment for their efforts in the form of a dairy or meat package. 

Maiko sees citizen participation as a great advantage. It allows him to graze his cows over a large area without having to spend much time doing it himself. Maiko encourages other dairy farmers to explore opportunities for citizen participation in their own areas. 

Context profil