Description
The farm from the family Koopmans is located in the northern part of the Netherland, the province Friesland. The farm is a participant in the project ‘cows and opportunities’ (’Koeien&Kansen).
The (16) farmers in the project ‘cows and opportunities’ implement, test and improve the (possible) future measures for the environmental legislation for the Dutch dairy sector. The future environmental legislation is based on circular farm management. A special tool (‘Kringloopwijzer’) is developed to collect the data and optimize the utilization and the losses in the mineral flows on the farm and reduce greenhouse gases.
Reason for the innovation
Participant in the project ‘cows and opportunities’.
- Achievements: implement, test and improve a special tool for environmental legislation based on circular farm management
- Results: optimization of the utilization and losses in the mineral flows on the farm and a reduce of greenhouse gases through a more efficient feed ration and grassland management
Farm description
Environment
- Soil: Sandy
- Climate: Temperate oceanic
- Altitude: ±sea level
- Slope: flat
Grassland management
- Grazing: Yes
- Grazing management: Rotational
- Length of grazing period: 7 months/year
- Main composition grassland: Perennial ryegrass
Structure
- Annual work units (AWU): 2
- Agricultural Area 117 ha UAA
- Permanent grassland 60 ha
- Temporary grassland 25 ha
- Other forage 32 ha
- Production method: Conventional
- Stock
- 190 dairy cows
- 100 young stock
- Breed Holstein-Friesian
Animal performance
- Milk production: 9 000 kg/year
Why it is working
The innovation is successful on this farm because:
- the farmers motivation to improve and optimize the utilization of the feed (ration) and the manure (grassland management).
- the opportunity to respond on future legislation.
