Experiment with nature-inclusive farming at The Schutkooi

Staatsbosbeheer enters into a far-reaching partnership with two Brabant farmers to explore the opportunities of nature-inclusive agriculture.
One of the two farmers involved is Eric Lamers of organic dairy farm De Schutkooi in Vortum-Mullem. His farm is located in the middle of the UNESCO site De Maasheggen.

Eric Lamers now leases over 27 of his 80 acres of land from Staatsbosbeheer. The land is managed in a butterfly-friendly way by leaving different strips on the leased pastures every year. An Adventure Forest, sheep herd, small livestock and a hive of bees make the farmyard attractive to children. The butterfly trail starts on the property and is used both recreationally and scientifically.
Lamers further desires to start selling the milk his cows produce under the name Maasheggenmelk. A unique feature is the mobile milking system, which will be used to milk the cows in his meadows starting next year. This will eliminate cow paths and offer passing tourists an interesting experience.
Finally, Eric Lamers is committed to area recycling, with a lot of attention for soil life.

Province
Nature-inclusive agriculture is also a spearhead of the provincial government. Elies Lemkes-Straver, member of the Provincial Executive for Agriculture, Food and Nature: "Farmers who integrate nature into their operations often contribute to making the food chain more sustainable, but also to better water and soil quality and more biodiversity. They also reap the benefits themselves. On top of that, nature-inclusive farms create a more attractive landscape with a higher recreational value, which we can therefore all enjoy."

Experiments
In cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV), Staatsbosbeheer launched a multi-year project in 2018 with the goal of realizing 40 experiments to help farmers switch to nature-inclusive agriculture. In doing so, Staatsbosbeheer deploys its land. In total, Staatsbosbeheer owns 50,000 hectares of grassland.

It cuts both ways: if a farmer switches to nature-inclusive agriculture, he needs more land to run a profitable business. This additional natural land can be leased in various ways from Staatsbosbeheer. In exchange, agreements are made with the farmer about what he can and may do to support his nature-inclusive farming on the one hand and to increase biodiversity on all his farmland on the other.

Agreements have now been signed with farmers in Reeuwijk and Brandwijk (South Holland), Woerdense Verlaat and Tienhoven (Utrecht), Arrien (Overijssel), Leutingewolde (Drenthe), Delfgauw (South Holland) and Oene (Gelderland), and now two in North Brabant (Schutkooi in Vortum-Mullem and Heining & Hoef in Teteringen).

Pictured from left to right are Emiel Anssems (Heinig & Hoef), Theo Bakker (consultant on nature-inclusive agriculture Staatsbosbeheer) and Eric Lamers (De Schutkooi).