Study tour | Netherlands

Study tour in Netherlands has been held on 19th to 23rd March.

It was the fourth study tour and the sunniest. Thank you, Rudolf and Henk, from Wageningen University, for pushing away the clouds! Useful height to touch the sky!

The tour started with a visit to the Association Agricultural Nature and Landscape Management ‘Water Land & Dikes’, a typical old polder area, a successful claim for the land, the creation of a rural web protecting birds and wildlife, linking to municipalities, regional landscape and nature organisations, developing recreation and education for urban visitors. Similarly, Northern Friesland Woodlands has embarked in landscape management, agroecological management, bioenergy, water management and so much more, with now 800 farmers, covering 50.000 ha. The group went to visit Ameland and tried yogurt and milk at Kars’ dairy farm. The Waddengroup Foundation has been able to develop its own markets over the years, +300 certified products, 1000+ points of sale, networks exceeding 300 farmers, processors, entrepreneurs, restaurants, fisher folks etc. Quality and distinctive product recognition by the consumers; higher value led by successful branding. A young cheese processor welcomes the pearticipants in his shop. The tour continued in a old wood mill, that now is part of Immaterial World Heritage (by UNESCO 2017), they also saw flour and grains, an old Rye variety going extinct, saved in 1948 by Wageningen University which kept 400grams, today 2000 Kg are growing. One of the representatives is given a bag of the precious seed to bring back home to Hungary, and plant it there.