During the conference you will have the opportunity to visit typical Dutch grassland landscapes, – activities and – innovations. On Tuesday June 11, we will get on the bus and travel to inspiring places. You can choose between six Tours:
- Grass production in a National bocage landscape
- Exploring Wageningen
- Innovation Expedition
- State of the Art
- From Grass to Dairy concepts
- Frisian Peat Meadows
For a sneak peek, click below. You will find more detailed information per tour.
Grass production in a National bocage landscape
Grass production in a National Bocage Landscape
The Noardlike Fryske Wâlden National Landscape is a scenically attractive and unique area between Dokkum and Drachten, in the northeastern part of Friesland. The area of more than 25,000 hectares owes the title ‘National Landscape’ due to the unique combination of housing and agricultural activities in balance with nature and cultural history.
Here you will find thousands of kilometres of hedgerows and alder banks, meadows, lakes, swamps and many sandy paths. The large number (hundreds) of pingos and floats (lakes) is striking. Rows of trees with blackberry bushes underneath line the meadows.
This has created a fine-meshed pattern with a closed character. Due to its location on the border between sand and clay, the natural value and biodiversity are particularly high. The centuries-old bocage landscape with alder banks and hedgerows has remained intact and farmers maintain this special landscape. That makes it unique throughout Europe.
In this excursion we visit dairy farms with research plots in the National Landscape of the Noardlike Fryske Wâlden where native biodiversity and grass production for dairy go together successfully.
Farmers and private individuals are organised in an association Noardlike Fryske Wâlden that ensures the preservation and development of this special landscape and the farmland birds through (agricultural) nature and landscape management. She considers attention to biodiversity and circular agriculture to be of great importance for the survival of the agricultural sector that ensures food production, employment and the quality of life in the area. In addition, the preservation and development of the (cultural) historical value and nature of the National Landscape makes the area attractive for residents and visitors.
In the morning we will visit research plots at a typical dairy farm where they show us how they monitor the impact of hedgerows on soil moisture, grass production and feed quality in adjacent pasture plots. We take a break at the Wâldpleats farm, where they make local dairy products to be sold in the farm shop. In the afternoon, we continue our way to dairy farms where they show us what the combination of hedgerows and herb-rich grassland offers for biodiversity and demonstrate alternatives to artificial fertilizers.
Come with us and experience a constructive interaction of grass production and biodiversity in this typical Dutch landscape on high sandy soils, boulder clay, and peat.
Exploring Wageningen
Exploring Wageningen
The city of Wageningen is known for its university and research institutes and is the central city of the Food Valley, which is the leading agro-food centre in Europe.
Wageningen is located in a unique landscape in the Dutch river delta that was created between the two moraines Utrechtse Heuvelrug and the Veluwe under the influence of the river Rhine.
The Eurofins Agro international competence center is the global research and innovation organization of Eurofins Agro. It is the scientific backbone of the 600.000 annual analyses of soil, plant, food, feed, fertilizer, water, manures and wastes. Established in 1927 and currently located in Wageningen, the Netherlands.
Eurofins Agro will show us how with constant innovation she is setting standards in the international agro testing community and developing tools to improving crop productivity, crop quality, nutritional security and environmental sustainability.
We are offered the opportunity to take a look inside the laboratories.
On our way from Eurofins Agro Testing to Het Binnenveld we will drive trough the Campus of Wageningen University & Research.
Het Binnenveld is an area between the cities Wageningen, Ede and Veenendaal what used to be dominated by hay meadows and where we find the so-called Blue grasslands. To maintain these landscapes and plant communities Het Binnenveld is now a protected area where government, provinces, farmers, municipalities, nature conservation organisations and civilians work together to achieve this goal. We will hear about the initiative “Mooi Binnenveld” in which money was collected by crowd funding and 50 ha farming land was bought in Het Binnenveld. Volunteers of “Mooi Binnenveld” will guide us through the grasslands in Het Binnenveld.
Looking forward to explore Wageningen with you.
Grasses Innovation Expedition
Barenbrug and Vredo on the road: join the Innovation Expedition!
For the Innovation Expedition, Barenbrug and Vredo join forces.
Barenbrug is globally renowned for its innovative approach and expertise in the field of grass. With over 100 years of experience, the focus is daily on investing in new technologies, new partnerships, and the needs of end-users. Because that’s what we do at Barenbrug every day: actively think about grass solutions for tomorrow’s challenges.
Vredo is a family business started in 1947 with a self-designed overseeder. The double-disc principle is the core of this invention. It was conceived in response to the market need to successfully overseed in very dry times.
Vredo remains faithful to this principle with double discs. The focus on field results, combined with solid quality, means that Vredo’s overseeders have been used worldwide for many years. During the interactive Innovation Expedition, we will take participants into the world of Barenbrug and Vredo.
What does the Innovation Expedition look like?
In the morning, the bus departs at 10:30 a.m. from Leeuwarden towards a Barenbrug FIF (Forage Innovation Farm) practical farm, where a dairy farmer shares his vision. The main topic of this visit is the diverse crop rotation with grass as a base. How does the European agricultural transition at the local level fit according to the dairy farmer in his future farming operation? The farmer will guide the participants through his daily practice. What are the important choices and challenges in managing grass and legumes as the basis for a diverse crop rotation?
Second stop: the idyllic trial location in Homoet from Barenbrug. Here lies the complete European range of grass species and concepts that were sown in 2023. In 2024, these grasses, alfalfa, and clovers are in perfect condition to be felt and viewed. We proudly share what is happening in the Research Area in the development of grasses and legumes. Our colleague Piet Arts, Global Research Director, shares his vision on Global Research within Barenbrug. Topics of conversation include Nitrogen Efficiency and DNA Technology in grass breeding.
Then the bus departs for Vredo. In Dodewaard, we will be guided through Vredo’s production location where all innovations can be admired. Here, the overseeders, self-propelled fertilizing vehicles, and sod spreaders can be examined in detail. This visit concludes with a live demonstration by Vredo. After the tour, the bus departs again towards Leeuwarden around 5:00 p.m.
In short: a unique opportunity to take a look into the innovative world of Barenbrug and Vredo. A glimpse into the world of grass and machinery through an interactive and varied program. Will you also participate in the Innovation Expedition with Barenbrug and Vredo on the road?
State of the Art
State of the Art Tour
During EGF2024 you can take a look behind the scenes at two leading international companies that contribute to efficient use of grass. With innovative solutions and targeted services, they support dairy farmers (owning the largest area of grassland in the Netherlands) with the daily care for efficient production of milk out of grass. One of those companies is CRV, a globally operating cooperative cattle improver that has its origins in the Netherlands and Flanders.
The second company is still subject to change at the moment we write this text. We hope to confirm soon. It is an international family business in the agricultural sector that also has its origins in the Netherlands. It shows impressive innovative strength in smart technologies for harvesting grass and feed provision. Additional information about this company will follow as soon as it becomes available to us.
CRV has multiple locations for each part in the process of cattle improvement. From breeding and testing to production and innovation. The heart of CRV’s Holstein breeding programme is in Wirdum in Friesland, the Netherlands. CRV’s Dairy Breeding Center (DBC) is home to some 350 young female animals with the highest genetic predisposition for health and efficiency. They have been chosen from among very best animals in the European Holstein population and are used as donors for the breeding programme. The next generation of bulls and bull dams will be selected on health, efficiency, and lifetime production, from the calves produced by their embryos.
With CRV FeedExcel, CRV offers producers a breeding strategy promising a feed-efficient herd with higher margins and lower methane emissions.
The Tour
As an EGF visitor you are invited to participate in the State of the Art Tour. In the morning we will visit the technological company in the field of grass extraction and feeding. In the afternoon you can take a look at CRV’s Dairy Breeding Center. After a warm welcome and introduction, you will receive an overview of the Breeding activities. This is followed by a guided tour where you can see behind glass how the animals are cared for, what is involved in embryo production, and how CRV combines the work with the animals and embryos at this location.
Looking forward to see you on Tuesday June 11!
From Grass to Dairy concepts
From grass to Dairy Concepts
On a journey through Friesland, find out everything about the production from grass to dairy, knowledge sharing among farmers, how to make cheese and what kind of sustainable dairy concepts there are for consumers. You will find answers to all your questions here.
In the morning we travel to CRV’s Dairy Breeding Center in Wirdum, near Leeuwarden. After a warm welcome, coffee and introduction, you will receive an overview of the breeding
activities, health, and feed efficiency and what CRV achieves on lowering dairy footprint. This is followed by a guided tour where you can see behind glass how the animals are cared for, roughage feeding boxes, what is involved in embryo production, and how CRV combines the work with the animals and embryos at this location.
The afternoon program is still subject to change. We will go south and would like to visit a large dairy processor. Together with partners, it has taken far-reaching steps towards making dairy products more sustainable. Results have already been achieved in the areas of animal welfare, biodiversity, and climate. For the extra efforts, dairy farmers are rewarded.
Additional information about this company will follow as soon as it becomes available.
CRV is a globally operating cooperative cattle improver that has its origins in the Netherlands and Flanders. It has multiple locations for each part in the process of cattle improvement. From breeding and testing to production and innovation. The heart of CRV’s Holstein breeding programme is in Wirdum in Friesland, the Netherlands. CRV’s Dairy Breeding Center (DBC) is home to some 350 young female animals with the highest genetic predisposition for health and efficiency. They have been chosen from among very best animals in the European Holstein population and are used as donors for the breeding programme. The next generation of bulls and bull dams will be selected on health, efficiency, and lifetime production, from the calves produced by their embryos.
Looking forward to see you!
Frisian Peat Meadows
Frisian Peat Meadows Tour
The EGF2024 General Meeting is situated in the heart of the province of Friesland with its typical meadows and church towers, dunes and dikes, forests and beaches, lakes and swamps. Nowhere else will you find so many different landscapes together as in Fryslân?
If you appreciate the typical Dutch landscape with polder grasslands, dairy cows, meadow birds and windmills and enjoy water, you must visit the beautiful green Frisian peat areas. The Frisian peat meadow area covers 89,000 hectares and forms a unique landscape with its vast grasslands, plenty of water and typical dairy farming activities.
However, the special character of this area is under pressure. Draining the peat to make habitation and agriculture possible, causes land subsidence and releases greenhouse gasses. It also leads to further desiccation of surrounding nature reserves. Measures are being taken to slow down greenhouse gas emissions and soil subsidence and desiccation, such as higher groundwater levels and infiltration. However, these measures also have effects on biodiversity, soil and water quality, water consumption and on the technical and economic uses of the land and result in other grass species, reduced carrying capacity resulting in fewer grazing days, and lower net yield.
These side effects partly determine the feasibility of applying climate measures. The aim is to implement area-specific measures that fit in with current land use. Innovations in the areas of water, soil, land use and integrated business operations are necessary to maintain the special character, agricultural function and quality of life of the Frisian peat meadow area.
On June 11, we will explore three peat areas where the Frisians work on innovations for dairy farming with higher groundwater levels: Veenpolders de Hegewarren, Aldeboarn-De Deelen and Idzegea. Experts and farmers are ready to show us how they develop flexible water levels, create a high-water farm, manage grassland, measure soil bearing capacity, growth roughage, measure greenhouse gas emissions, restore biodiversity and create a habitat for meadow birds.
Peat Meadows Program Fryslân
The Friesland Peat Meadow Program was established to continue living, working and recreating in the peat meadow area. The program addresses the challenges of the area based on a jointly shared vision and development of knowledge with the support of scientists and experts. They carry out various research projects together with local parties. Many of these are focused on agricultural management at a higher groundwater level. Research is also conducted into themes such as water management, soil management, nature and cultural history. All this often happens in collaboration with residents and entrepreneurs in the areas.
Looking forward to see you!
