Future-proof farmers in Amsterdam North
Laag Holland is rich in nature. Green meadows criss-crossed by ditches and canals, vast peat meadows and endless water. Visitors and residents enjoy this special landscape every day. However, Laag Holland has not always looked like this.
Over the years, the area has been developed mainly by human hands. To make life below sea level liveable, large areas were drained and waterways were dug to drain away the water. Every day, people still work hard to maintain the special nature of Laag Holland. But, where man first fought against water, it is now drought that is a problem.
In the rural area of Amsterdam North, see for yourself what...
Over the years, the area has been developed mainly by human hands. To make life below sea level liveable, large areas were drained and waterways were dug to drain away the water. Every day, people still work hard to maintain the special nature of Laag Holland. But, where man first fought against water, it is now drought that is a problem.
In the rural area of Amsterdam North, you will see for yourself what it means to farm on an important peat meadow area. The vast majority of the area is managed by livestock farmers, who see the effects of climate change increasingly impacting their daily operations. What it means to manage such an area and what challenges are involved, you will read in the story below during your bike tour.
Rural North
This cycle route starts at Amsterdam Noord metro station, terminus of Amsterdam's long-awaited North-South line. Standing here, in the bustling capital, among the tall buildings and infrastructure, it is hard to believe that nature is within easy reach. Yet you only have to cycle five minutes before you leave the city behind and the peace and space of the Low Dutch countryside meets you.
Rural North is an important area for people and nature. Hectares of peat meadow land have been home to special animal and plant species, especially meadow birds, for centuries. The picturesque villages of Durgerdam, Holysloot, Zunderdorp and Ransdorp break up the flat landscape here and there. These small but beautiful villages have great cultural-historical value.
The area in its present form has existed since the Middle Ages. The carbon-rich soil used to be cut and dried to make peat. Today, the peat soil of Rural North is mainly used for agriculture. The image of grazing cows and bleating sheep in the meadow is unmissable in the landscape. Not surprisingly, this area is incredibly rich in local produce of all shapes and sizes. You don't have to look far to find fresh farmhouse cheese, an ice cream made from fresh milk, organic meat, homemade jam or freshly squeezed juice.
Yet farms in the landscape are no longer as natural as they once were. Modern issues such as climate change and drought are making raising livestock or growing fruit and vegetables increasingly complicated. Farmers in Rural North are also noticing the effect of these problems. More and more farmers are taking matters into their own hands and working together to make their farms future-proof, so that the landscape as we know it will continue to be preserved in the future and we will be able to enjoy all the delicious produce from the region for a long time to come.
But what exactly are the problems facing farmers? What measures are being taken to maintain farmer and nature? Cycle this route through Rural North, past many of the area's farms, and find out for yourself. Read the stories of farmer Thom Huitema and the Zant family below, they will explain to you what it means to them to be a modern farmer, and what they are doing to future-proof their farms. Don't forget to leave extra room in your bike or backpacks. Along this route you will come across many local produce and farm shops, where you can taste the region's delicacies right away, or take them home. Please note! For some of these shops you have to deviate slightly from the route, keep an eye on the current opening hours.
This route was developed by Bureau Toerisme Laag Holland, commissioned by Recreatieschap Twiske-Waterland, Recreatieschap Alkmaarder- en Uitgeestermeer and the Province of Noord-Holland and is part of the Intergovernmental Programme Vital Countryside.
Tip: Amada and Anne-Floor of Honeyguide have already gone before you and have written a nice blog about the route! Curious about their experience? Then read it the blog.
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Soil subsidence in the peat landscape
Now that you've left the hustle and bustle of Amsterdam behind, take a moment to look around and enjoy beautiful Rural North.
Soil subsidence in the peat landscape
Now that you've left the hustle and bustle of Amsterdam behind, take a moment to look around and enjoy beautiful Rural North.
Endless, vast meadows are broken up here and there by picturesque villages and bustling farmyards. In the distance, you can already see the church tower of the pretty Zunderdorp approaching you.
The beautiful landscape of Rural North consists mainly of peat. But what exactly does that mean? Peat is a type of soil created when plants and bogs grow faster than they are decomposed. As a result, dead plants pile up densely, forming thick, oxygen-depleted layers. To preserve peat, it needs a high water table. When the groundwater level gets too low, oxygen gets to the peat. This causes a chemical reaction in which the dry peat oxidises. This releases greenhouse gases, such as methane, and creates CO2 that is emitted.
These CO2 emissions pose a huge problem. Dutch peatlands emit between six and seven tonnes of CO2 every year. This is as much as a coal-fired power plant or two million exhausts, and is more than twice as much as our ecosystems can absorb. In the fight against climate change, preventing this oxidation is incredibly important. Besides, CO2 emissions are not the only problem posed by peat oxidation. When peat dries, it settles. This means that the soil starts sinking, up to a centimetre a year. This leads to major problems for foundations and infrastructure. In addition, subsidence causes a negative effect on water quality and high costs for the management and maintenance of water infrastructure.
For subsidence, there is a seemingly simple solution; keep the groundwater level high. In practice, this is quite a task. As you can see when you look around, the North Holland peat meadow area is largely managed by farms, mainly dairy and beef cattle farmers. Everywhere you look you see cows grazing peacefully in the meadow. A low water level is important for farmers. If the water gets too high, the soil becomes too soft. As a result, they can no longer use machines on the land and the cattle cannot stand properly on the land.
Want to know what is being done to combat subsidence? Continue your cycle route and read the story about cattle farming on the peat.
Jersey Ice cream parlour
This is where you get the tastiest artisanal farmhouse ice cream in the region! Here on weekends (in summer) and on special holidays, you can get delicious creamy ice cream made from the milk of Jersey cows grazing in the meadow on site.
Jersey Ice cream parlour
This is where you get the tastiest artisanal farmhouse ice cream in the region! Here on weekends (in summer) and on special holidays, you can get delicious creamy ice cream made from the milk of Jersey cows grazing in the meadow on site.
The Jersey Ice Cream Parlour now has seven flavours as standard in its range, and special flavours are often made for special occasions. Stop by and taste for yourself!
Organic milk tap Disseldorp dairy farm
Daily fresh chilled organic farm milk, direct from producer to consumer. Tap fresh milk yourself here in your own jerry can, bottle or mug.
Organic milk tap Disseldorp dairy farm
Daily fresh chilled organic farm milk, direct from producer to consumer. Tap fresh milk yourself here in your own jerry can, bottle or mug.
Livestock farming on the moor
As you can clearly see while cycling, the vast majority of areas in Rural North are managed by farmers.
Livestock farming on the moor
As you can clearly see while cycling, the vast majority of areas in Rural North are managed by farmers.
Cattle farming in particular forms the basis of the area's landscape and rural nature. This characteristic peat meadow landscape is not only valued by people, dozens of species of (meadow) birds also like to breed, grow and forage among the cows, in the nutrient-rich soil and herb-rich grass. So if cattle farming in Rural North is no longer possible due to climate change and measures against subsidence, an essential part of the ecological system of Rural North will disappear.
Therefore, many farmers see the importance of combating subsidence. In cooperation with Vereniging Agrarisch Natuur- en Landschapsbeheer Water, Land & Dijken, six farmers have taken the initiative to find a solution to the shrinking peat. After all, it is not only important for nature that the peat does not oxidise, but also for the future prospects of the farmers themselves. If farmers want to continue their businesses in the future, sustainable measures will have to be taken. Besides, too dry soil and too low water levels are not profitable either. Drought means poorer grass quality and therefore less and lower quality milk production.
As a first step, monitoring wells were installed on all farmers' land. These monitoring wells measure groundwater levels. At first, things did not seem too bad. Under the peat was a large clay layer and the water level was reasonably high. A period of drought in the summer really revealed the problem: the water level had dropped to 1.30 metres below ground level! That took some swallowing. It became clear that it was time for action.
There are a number of measures farmers can take to combat subsidence, some do one thing, others another, some farmers combine the measures. An important starting point for deploying the measures is that farmers ultimately maintain or improve their income; the business must remain profitable. There are three measures that seem to be the most effective now and are likely to be deployed in the future: pressure drainage, ditch infiltration and land 'reduction'. The latter involves the farmer spreading clay on his land. The clay particles then bind to the peat particles, reducing subsidence. In theory, a simple, effective solution. True, but in practice it proves not easy to apply due to various regulations.
Curious about the use of pressure drainage and trench infiltration? Continue your route and then read the stories of farmer Thom Huitema and the Zant family.
Farm shop Arken AE
Real yoghurt and custard can only be found in a real farm shop. Such a one as Farm shop Arken AE. In addition to the tastiest dairy products, you will also find fresh pumpkins, courgettes and home-grown rhubarb. And that's not all, also
Farm shop Arken AE
Real yoghurt and custard can only be found in a real farm shop. Such a one as Farm shop Arken AE. In addition to the tastiest dairy products, you will also find fresh pumpkins, courgettes and home-grown rhubarb. And that's not all, also
For fresh eggs, feel free to drop by Arken AE.
At Arken AE, they consider it important that the products are handmade and are not only good for you, but also for the environment and animals. So you can enjoy the pure taste, and they ensure that the products are prepared without colouring, flavouring and fragrances.
Lots of choice and the tastiest specialities, and of course always fresh! Feel free to drop by for a look or a taste.
Ferry Holysloot Notification
Ferry Holysloot ferries cyclists and walkers across the Holysloter Die from Broek in Waterland to Holysloot. The ferry operates on a limited basis only. Always check the opening hours before departure.
Ferry Holysloot Notification
Ferry Holysloot ferries cyclists and walkers across the Holysloter Die from Broek in Waterland to Holysloot. The ferry operates on a limited basis only. Always check the opening hours before departure.
Should the ferry not sail, it is recommended to shorten the route and cycle from node 76 to node 42.
The Breedijkhoeve
The Breedijk Hoeve is an organic farm with 100 hectares of land in rural Amsterdam-North. Rural North is part of Waterland-East, a culturally valuable peat meadow area.
The Breedijkhoeve
The Breedijk Hoeve is an organic farm with 100 hectares of land in rural Amsterdam-North. Rural North is part of Waterland-East, a culturally valuable peat meadow area.
The Breedijkhoeve operates in an organic, animal and nature-friendly way. The cows and sheep are kept organically. For a large part of the year, these suckler cows (cows where the calves are allowed to stay with their mother to drink her milk) and the sheep with their lambs walk outside in the meadows.
The Breedijk Hoeve has been actively engaged in nature management for more than 20 years in collaboration with the Water, Land and Dykes Nature Association. By working the land in a meadow bird-friendly way, the Breedijkhoeve helps to conserve various species of meadow birds.
The Breedijkhoeve sells organic beef and fruit jam from its own farm in its farm shop.
Farmer Thom Huitema
Deviate slightly from the cycling network junctions to take a look at the farm at farmer Thom Huitema's place. After Ransdorp, turn right and cycle a short distance up the Liergouw. At number 80, you will find the dairy farm V.O.F. Vendrig.
Farmer Thom Huitema
Deviate slightly from the cycling network junctions to take a look at the farm at farmer Thom Huitema's place. After Ransdorp, turn right and cycle a short distance up the Liergouw. At number 80, you will find the dairy farm V.O.F. Vendrig.
Farmer Thom Huitema manages the dairy farm of V.O.F. Vendrig, a relatively small-scale dairy farm with 50 cows, just outside Ransdorp. But, on this farm you will not only find cows. To broaden their activities, the Vendrig family has decorated the hay barn as a country-style event venue, complete with hay bales, sheepskins, crates and other farmhouse nostalgia. In the barn where the calves stay, you will find another surprise: on the other side of a glass wall, nursery the farm has been set up, where children spend the day in connection with nature and in the fresh air.
As you can see, V.O.F. Vendrig's farm is not just about farming. Earning on the side in this way is not unique. As you may have seen along the route, many farms in the area have expanded their operations to include a local produce shop, B&B, group accommodation, day care or room rental. In this way, V.O.F. Vendrig hopes to future-proof their business.
Future-oriented
Farmer Thom sees the importance of being proactive and forward-looking. To be able to farm for a long time to come, it is important to manage and monitor the land himself to preserve it for future generations. For this reason, he joined the club of farmers taking action in collaboration with Water, Land and Dykes to combat subsidence. During excursions in other parts of the country, to farmers who are ahead in terms of measures against subsidence, farmer Thom was inspired to get involved in this himself.
As with all farmers, monitoring wells were first installed in the ground to identify the problem. It is a simple but effective system: plastic tubes are inserted vertically into the ground at various points in the ground level. The farmer then lowers a weight on a measuring tape until it touches water, after which you read the groundwater level on the measuring tape. Farmer Thom was also shocked by the result; after a dry summer, the groundwater level had dropped quite a bit.
Trench infiltration
To quickly make a difference, V.O.F. Vendrig chose to initially address this problem by creating trenches in their pastures. First in part of the land, to be able to measure the effect properly. The ditches are connected to a ditch with a high water level of 20 centimetres below ground level. The deeper ditches allow rainwater to be drained into the ditch, but they can also be used to supply water instead, keeping the water level higher. These ditches will be constructed in the land near Vendrig Farm in 2023. In the future, farmer Thom is also considering looking at pressure drains. Read the Zant family's story to find out how this system works. Installing pressure drainage is quite a drain on your land and turf, but it does make it easier to regulate water levels. As a result, cattle may be able to get out to the land earlier, and back into the barn later in the year. That means happy cows and better milk quality.
Because happy they are, farmer Thom's cows. The small scale of the dairy farm means he has time to give his cows real attention. The cattle get good feed, as much fresh grass as possible and time in the meadow, which makes them very relaxed. This pays off, as V.O.F. Vendrig has one of the highest milk productions per cow in the country - in North Holland they get second place and out of all of the Netherlands they are number 14.
Meadow birds
This just proves that farmer and nature go well together, a nature-friendly approach does not have to come at the expense of a productive dairy farm. Besides taking measures against subsidence, farmer Thom is also very active in other voluntary nature management. Part of the land is set aside for the meadow bird population that makes this area so special. Delayed mowing, the spreading of rough manure from the barn and a private puddle grass in the field makes this farm an oasis for the birds. The meadow bird population has already increased in recent years due to these efforts. Thus, farmer Thom is working with nature to future-proof the farm. Yet they see the boundaries of the city of Amsterdam getting closer and closer as the years go by. Whether these measures are enough, time will tell
The milk from farmer Thom's cows is made into tasty cheese in Lutjewinkel, North Holland. At the farm, this cheese is also sold. Would you like to take a piece with you? Then call TELEPHONE NUMBER. Cycle back towards Ransdorp and continue the route to junction 47.
Milk tap and farm shop Durgerdammergouw
At this milk tap and farm shop along Durgerdammergouw, you get fresh produce straight from the farmer.
Milk tap and farm shop Durgerdammergouw
At this milk tap and farm shop along Durgerdammergouw, you get fresh produce straight from the farmer.
Milk, butter, potatoes, eggs, apples, onions, pears and much more. Many products can also be paid with a tap if paying in cash is not possible.
Land market Schellingwoude
At our place, you will find the tastiest fresh produce direct from the farmer, gardener, butcher, fishmonger and baker. Our craftsmen are gourmets, will advise and assist you and always have something to taste.
Land market Schellingwoude
At our place, you will find the tastiest fresh produce direct from the farmer, gardener, butcher, fishmonger and baker. Our craftsmen are gourmets, will advise and assist you and always have something to taste.
Whenever possible, we prefer to make our products ourselves, prefer sustainability to labels, know our suppliers personally and pay them a fair price. Together we agree: Honest food tastes best!
Farm vending machine Care Farm Our Desire
The products in this farm vending machine come from Zorgboerderij Ons Verlangen in Zunderdorp, an organic dairy farm with dairy cows, sheep, horses, chickens, goats, rabbits and pigs. They also provide care to about 40 relief farmers.
Farm vending machine Care Farm Our Desire
The products in this farm vending machine come from Zorgboerderij Ons Verlangen in Zunderdorp, an organic dairy farm with dairy cows, sheep, horses, chickens, goats, rabbits and pigs. They also provide care to about 40 relief farmers.
1 June 2015, Ons Verlangen started their own dairy. They use milk from their own grass-grazed cows (supplemented with a small amount of organic biks) for products such as pasteurised milk, buttermilk, yoghurt, cottage cheese, cream butter and farmhouse cheeses. Besides these dairy products, organic eggs and their (h)fair meat are also sold in this farm vending machine.
The products below are available (while stocks last) at the Farm vending machine:
- fresh dairy products
- various types of cheese (cow and goat)
- (meat products
- homemade jam
- dog snacks (from dried waste meat)
- onions
- potatoes
- organic eggs
The Zant family
Just before entering Zunderdorp again, you cycle past the Zant family farm. This dairy farm is a real family business. In 1995, Jan and Hennie bought the farm on Nieuwe Gouw, with sons Arjan and Jonathan joining later.
The Zant family
Just before entering Zunderdorp again, you cycle past the Zant family farm. This dairy farm is a real family business. In 1995, Jan and Hennie bought the farm on Nieuwe Gouw, with sons Arjan and Jonathan joining later.
You can already see it in the large barns and the vast land around them; here, farming is still done on a relatively large scale. With 180 dairy cattle and 100 young stock, the Zant family's operations revolve entirely around their animals. You won't find a local produce shop or rest stop here.
But, large-scale or small-scale, the need to take proactive action against subsidence and climate change remains. To be able to continue farming in the future, the Zant family has joined the farmers who have started looking for a solution with Water, Land and Dykes. Like farmer Thom Huitema, the Zant family also discovered alarmingly low groundwater levels after a dry period in summer. This is bad for the turf. If the water level is too low, the grass roots can no longer find water, which stops grass growth. In very dry periods, stretches of land will then wither.
Pressure drainage
Even after heavy rainfall, the groundwater takes time to return to a desirable level, the peat is too thick to allow water to pass through from above. This was known to the Zant family before. The plots will be built convex so that rainwater does not stay on the land but flows into the surrounding ditches. Even from these ditches, the water can only penetrate the peat soil a little bit, so a higher level in the ditches will also have no real impact.
The solution: infusing water directly into the soil. The Zant family has chosen to install a pressure drainage system next year. This involves laying pipes in the land about 75cm below ground level. These pipes are connected to a high and a low ditch, which allows the water level to be controlled very effectively. If the water table is low, water runs into the land from the high-water ditch. If the soil is too wet, the system also works the other way round, with water from the land running into the low-water ditch. This way, the Zant family can graze their cows, but also prevent the peat from settling. Above ground, you don't see much of these pressure drains, it all takes place in the soil. Wondering what that looks like? Then watch this video from Water, Land and Dykes.
Nature management
Farmers have an important role to play as nature managers, the Zant family believes. Besides taking measures against subsidence, they are also concerned with creating a nice habitat for meadow birds. For instance, a plot is reserved for these special creatures, where a wetland is kept wet. This is not mowed but grazed, allowing the birds to roam among the cows in search of food. In addition, on the rest of the land, mowing is also delayed so that the meadow birds are not disturbed during the breeding season.
The Zant family's milk has a better life label from the animal welfare organisation. For this, they have to meet 192 requirements for animal welfare and the environment. In this video, Arjan Zant explains why they consider this hallmark so important. To minimise the environmental impact, this milk is also delivered directly to Jumbo. By working this way, with an eye on the future of the area, the Zant family hopes to continue farming in Rural North for many generations to come.
Want to know more about cattle farming, subsidence and the peat landscape? Then visit www.innovatieprogrammaveen.nl.
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